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Carrying the beat
Preservation Brassreleasesalbum ‘For Fatman’
PRESERVATION BRASSHAD BEEN HOLDINGDOWNMONDAYNIGHTS at Preservation Hall forseveral years, playingsetsofclassic NewOrleans brassbandmusic,when some of the musiciansstarted battingaroundthe idea of recordingthe group. Kerry “Fatman” Hunter,who played bass drum in Preservation Brass, andsousaphoneplayerJulius McKeetossedthe idea to trumpeterand cornetistKevin Louis, andheboughtin.
Louishad themoney savedup, so he booked some time at MarignyStudios forthe band andworkedwithtrumpeterand Preservation Brassleader Mark Braudtoco-produceanalbum of traditional-stylebrass band music. Initially, Louissays, he wasthinking he’d call thealbum “Dat Trad Lyfe,” basedonahashtag he’d been usingfor years. Butastheywerefinishing the albumlastyear, tragedystruckthe New Orleansmusic communitywhen Hunter washit andkilledbyadrunk driver in theearlyhours of MardiGras. The belovedGrammy-winningdrummer, whoplayedwiththe NewOrleans Nightcrawlers, KinfolkBrass Band and other groups,was 53
Thetitle of thealbum became “For Fatman.”
“Thatwas averyunexpectedthing to happen,” Louissays. “And [namingthe album] wasanatural thing. That’s what it should have been.”
Preservation Brass’ “For Fatman” wasreleasedonvinyl anddigitally on Jan. 31 (althoughvinyl copies have been availableatPreservationHallfor afew weeks),and thebandwillcelebratethe albumonMonday, Feb. 3, at thevenue on St.Peter Street.There areshows at 5p.m., 6:15 p.m.,7:30 p.m. and8:45p.m.
AlongwithHunter, Louis, Braud andMcKee,“ForFatman” includes trumpeterWendell Brunious,trombone playersronellJohnsonand richard Anderson,saxophonist roderick Paulin, clarinetistBruce Brackman,snare drummerGlenFinisterAndrews and percussionistGeraldFrench.
The12-trackalbum features songsby John “Picket” Brunious Sr.— Wendell Brunious’father andBraud’s grandfather —Waldren “Frog” Joseph’s “Slide, Frog,Slide”and thestandard“Bill Bailey,Won’t youPleaseComeHome,” with vocals by Louis. There’salso Braud’s original “LuckyDog,” amedley of Carnivaltimeclassicsand “Careless Love,” ararebrass band ballad.
by Jake Clapp |
influenced rock ’n’roll. AllofthatisNew Orleanstraditional musictome.”
InternationalClash Day
InternationalClash Daystarted as acelebration of theClash by aDJat Seattleradio stationKeXPin2013. The popularityhas spread to othercities across theglobe,and locallyit’sbeing marked by abig line-upofperformers at ChickieWah Wah. Theradio Clash Allstars features Timrobertson,rene Comanand eric Bolivarand guests includeactor Jude Lawand hisson raff,CCAdcock, Pell,JudithOwen, JonCleary, HelenGillet, BenJaffe and many more.Therealsowillbeaset by Spider Stacyofthe Pogues.At8p.m. Saturday,Feb.8.Tickets $69.20 viachickiewahwah.com.
TheRumble
John Brunious Sr., aJuilliard-educated trumpeterand pianist,had recorded thesongs “Bagatelle”and “Hot Sausage rag” in the’60swithhis band the Mahogany Hall Stompers,and in recent years, Braudhas worked to reintroduce them to contemporary brassbands
“These songsare near anddearto me.[We’re] just playingthemwiththe perspectiveofsomeone living today, with differentexperiences butkeeping thetradition,” Braudsays. “It’sbringing ourown flavor to it andputting our stamponthese songs.”
Openingand closing“Fatman”and markingthe switch from theA-sideto theB-sideare tracks of BlackMasking Indian-style percussion andchants. Andthe album’slasttrack,“Fiyaya,” is particularly in honorofBig ChiefVictor Harrisofthe Mandingo Warriors, who retiredasa maskingIndianlastyear.
Louiswantedtoinclude thoseshort tracks to highlightthe connectionsin Black-rooted NewOrleanstraditions, he says.Itgetsbacktothe reason he uses thehashtag “DatTradLyfe.”
“you saytraditional NewOrleans jazz, alot of people mightjustautomatically say‘Dixieland’orsomething like that. Andthat’snot what this is,” Louissays. “ThisisaBlack American tradition. This musicisfromBlack people,and it encompassesgospelmusic,the music of BlackMasking Indians, theMardi Gras songs, theNew Orleansr&B that
Whilethe Preservation Brassalbum wasmostlyfinishedbeforeHunter’s death—and he playsoneachtrack on therecord—“ForFatman” is afitting tributetothe late drummerwho grew up in the7th Ward
Alongwithplaying with theNew OrleansNightcrawlers andsharing in their2021GrammyAward,Hunterhad spenthis life in brassbands,usually playingthe snaredrum. He andbass drummerTanio Hingle hadanchored theNew BirthBrass band foryears,and at differentpoints, Hunter hadplayed with DannyBarker’sroots of Jazz Brass Band,Olympia,rebirth,Tornado,Dirty Dozenand othergroups.
“All my life Ihad knownhim as asnare drum player.Itwasn’tuntil [Preservation Brass] that Istarted playingwithhim on bass drum,” Braudsays. “Heunderstood thenuances,somuch, of what hisrole wasinabrass band.Itwas incredible … He wasareallytastefulplayer.”
Both Braudand Louisdescribe Hunter as agenerousand kind person, andhewas thekindofplayerwho watchedout forthe next generation of brassbandmusicians
“Ifyou went to thefuneral,you would have seen howgreat this dude was,” Louissays. “Itwas like abrass band festival. everybrass band in NewOrleans wasrepresented there.”
Ticketsfor theFeb.3performances andthe albuminthe Preservation Hall shop canbefound at preservationhall.com.
Notall Carnival-related activity is on hold whilethe SuperBowlisin town.The MusicBox Villagehosts a screeningof“AllonaMardi Gras Day.” royceOsborne’s 2003 documentary explores BlackCarnivaltraditions, especially BlackMasking Indiansbut also Skeleton gangs, Baby Dollsand the Zulu parade.Following thescreening, MardiGrasIndianfunkbandThe rumble performs.The screeningisat 7p.m., followed by theshowat8:30 p.m. Friday,Feb.7.Tickets $20, $10for children.Findinformation at musicboxvillage.com.
MJ Lenderman
Singer-songwriterMarkJacob Lendermanleads an indierockproject underhis ownname, butSeptember 2024 release“ManningFireworks” features bandmatesfromhis other project, Wednesday. Hiscareerhas been on therisesince 2022’s “Boat Songs.”The Asheville, NorthCarolina, native’s songwritinghas adry witand flirts with themundane,while the soundleans toward Southern rock
Preservation Brass released itsfirst album, ‘For Fatman,’ on Jan. 31.
OP EN IN G GA MB IT
On ascale of 5-50 years, howmuchdid January2025age you?
TH UM BS UP / TH UM BS DO WN
Nola4Palestine raised $48,000 forthe Middle east Children’s Alliance (MeCA) during abenefit concertinDecember. Theshow at BJ’s Lounge featured Sabine McCalla, LosGuiros, Wits end BrassBandand other performances alongwithraffleitems to raisemoney forMeCA’sworkhelpingPalestinian refugeechildren. Nola4Palestine hasraisedmore than $100,000 in thelasttwo yearsfor Palestiniancauses.
Norman C. Francis, acivil rights leader andformerpresident of Xavier university of Louisiana, was recently namedHumanistofthe year by theLouisiana endowment forthe Humanities (LeH). The Humanist of theyearaward tops LeH’sannualBrightLightsAwards, whichrecognize people whohave made “significantcontributions to theunderstanding of Louisiana’s historyand culture.”BrightLights Awardwinners this year include FestivalsAcadiensetCreoles, former Lake Charles mayorWillie Landry Mountand photographer Pableaux Johnson, whodied suddenly on Jan. 26
Problemspersist at NewOrleans warehousewhere JefLandrysent unhousedfor SuperBowl
DESPITESOMEIMPROVEMENTSIN
BASICLIVINGCONDITIONS at Gov.
Jeff Landry’s temporarySuper Bowl warehousefor theunhoused, thestate hasmadelittleprogress in rehousingpeopleand is stillnot providing adequate services and resources, NewOrleans City Council Member LesliHarrissaidJan.28.
Harris, whohas become the council’spoint person on unhoused issues,visited thestate-run “transition center”onTuesday,following aweek’stimeinwhich thestate refusedtogiveher updatesonthe situationorinclude herinupdate callswithother of ficials.
Louisiana is paying more for electricitythanthe national averagewhile also living with one of theleast reliable electric grids in thecountry,a newLouisiana LegislativeAuditor report found. ThereportalsosaysLouisiana residents consumemoreelectricity than almost anyother state—and arepayingmorefor what they use.
Nearlytwo weeksafter opening theGentillyfacility, theunhoused movedintothe warehousestill can’taccessmuchoftheir personal belongings,including identification, cash cardsand otherneededitems And, accordingtoHarris, only two people have been movedintopermanenthousing
“I’m encouraged to seeprogress with theheatand care in thedevelopment of thestate-run transitional site,but I’mconcerned by thelackof resultssofar,” Harris told Gambit in a statement. “Intwo weeks, only two individualshavebeenhoused, and it’s only nowthatsomecaseworker supportand wraparound services are beingoffered.”
10
THENUMBEROFTIMES
NEWORLEANS HOSTED THESUPER BOWL PRIOR TO FEB. 9, 2025.
Itsfirst threehostedgames were held at Tulane Stadium before moving over to theSuperdome forthe past seven games. NewOrleans last hosted in 2013, when theBaltimore ravens beat theSan Francisco49ers.Super Bowl LIX will be thecit y’s11thtimehosting in amatch-up betweenthe Kansas City Chiefs andthe Philadelphia eagles
Howdid youspend your snow day?
STAYED COZY ON THECOUCH
It does appear that some of the initialproblemswiththe facility notablya lack of sufficient heat, runningwater andafunctioning kitchen— have been addressed.
SarahParks, executivedirector of Graceatthe Greenlight,which workswithunhousedpeople, said people stayingthere have reported having access to food,caseworkers andtransportationtoappointments, alongwithother resources.
Thestate opened theGentilly warehouseonJan.15, thesameday it begansweepingdowntownencampmentsand tellingpeopletheycould no longer stay in theareaahead of theSuper Bowl on Feb. 9.
Harris said currentlyone of the biggestissuesatthe center is the
20.5%
Abus dropsoff peopleatthe temporaryhomeless shelteron France Road in NewOrleans,Wednesday,Jan.15, 2025.
lack of access to importantpersonal belongings that were movedinthe sweeps of encampments,including IDsand Medicaid cards. Thoseitems “remaintiedupinthe processing system,” shesaid.
Additionally,Harrissaidmany people areleaving thewarehouse andheading back downtown or to other partsofthe city.Thiscalls into question theeffectiveness of the multimillion-dollareffort.
Thestate is spending at least$11.4 milliontohaveupto200 people stay at thefacilityfor twomonths, or more than $16million if officialsdecideto keep it open athird month.
In thefirst week,there wasasewer line breakthatresultedinpeoplehavingtouse portable toiletsoutside and thestate stillhad notset up akitchen or other services it hadtoutedto unhoused people andother members of thepublic.
“Asone individual said today, it feelslikethey’re flying theplane while building it —thisapproach harmsthe very people this initiative is meantto help,” Harris said. —KayleePoche
Acar is crushedunder fallen bricks aftera building collapsednearthe intersection of Magazine andFelicitystreets on Dec. 30,2024.
NewOrleans City Council passes newlaw to addressbuilding collapsesand blight
THENEW ORLEANSCIT YCOUNCIL
IS MOVING FORWARD with new mitigation measures to addressthe complex, city wide problemofblight af terastringofbuildingcollapses andother problems over thelast severalmonths.
Councilmembers passed an ordinanceJan.30directing thecouncil chiefofstaff to contract with an engineer or engineeringfirmto examinecer tain buildingsand help determinewhether or nottheypose theriskofcollapsing.
Councilmembers saythiswillalso help thehamstrung code-enforcement agency
Theordinance comesonthe heels of severalrecent, high-profile buildingcollapses across thecitythat have frustrated residentsand city of ficialsalike.
CouncilMemberLesli Harrisintroduced themeasure at acommittee meetingJan.29, whichwas co-authored by CouncilMemberHelena Moreno.Harrispointed to severalfactors that cancause buildingstocollapse
You’re free to live your lifeout loud! Becauseyou’ve gotthe compassion of the cross, the securityofthe shield, and the comfortofBluebehind you.
andsaidthe city needed to getmore preventive measures in place.
That includes hiring experts“who arewilling to make sure that our buildingsare safe andstructurally sound,”she said underthe newrules,the council will “involve acompetitive selection processfor an engineer or consultant”toprovide recommendations.
Harrissaidthe city’s hiredhelp should conducta thorough assessment of recent building failures, severalofwhich arealready underinvestigation
Councilmembers arealsoconsidering otherwaystohelpfix the issue. Oneconsideration is to raise property taxesonvacantlots, which couldspurownerstoeither renovate or sell theirproperties.
expertsGambitpreviouslyspoke with said thereare many contributingfactors to building collapses. Humidity,invisible termitedamage, naturaldisasters andoutright negligence areamong thekey culprits. NewOrleansisalsofilled with historic houses that areexpensive to maintain even when owners aremotivated exacerbating theissue is an understaffedcodeenforcement office, whichoverseesmultiplehot-button issues,including monitoring shortterm rentals.
Blight is amajor public healthrisk that canbelife-threatening.
In anewsrelease Jan. 28,Moreno said it’s an issuethatdemands “immediate attention” and requires theinput of “those with engineeringexper tise to identify keyrecommendations forconductingmorethoroughand ef fective structural inspections.”
Sheadded,“We cannot sitby whilestructuralthreats in our neighborhoodsposesignificant riskstopublicwelfare andquality of life,leadtobusinessinterruptionsand proper ty damage and require firstresponder resources to mitigate safety concerns.”
—Sarah Ravits
French QuarterFestivalpreviewsmusic lineup for2025
FRENCH QUARTERFESTIVAL
RELEASED APARTIAL PREVIEW list of who’sper formingatits April 10-13fest.
Thelineupwillinclude Irma Thomas,GeorgePorterJr.,Anders Osborne, Soul rebels,JohnBoutte, Kermit ruffins, John Mooney,Jon Cleary,AmandaShawand many
more. Alistofall currentlyscheduled performers is below.
Thefestivalwillhave22stages spread across theFrenchQuarter andriverfront. Plus,the DJ stageis back,and ravSmooveisone of itsheadliners.
Therealsowillbeevening concer tper formancesbyChapel Hart,Mia Xwiththe Original Pinettes Brassband, Little Freddie King androckin’ Dopsie Jr.& the Zydeco Twisters
AnaïsSt. John,Arrowhead Jazz Band featuringNationalPark Servicerangers andspecial guests,ATocar!Bomba de Puer to rico,Bonerama, Charmaine Neville, Chereelise,Christian Serpas &Ghost Town,Creative Ar ts Momentum,Dashrip rock, Delfeayo Marsalis &the uptown Jazz Orchestra, DonVappie& BanjoalaCréole, Dwayne Dopsie andthe Zydeco Hellraisers, Fermín Ceballos +Merengue4FOur, Horace Trahan &the Ossun express, ÌFÉ, TheIguanas,Irma Thomas,Jam BrassBand, Joe Krown+1featuring Papa Mali,John Mooney,Jon Cleary &the Absolute MonsterGentlemen,Kelly Love Jones, TheLilli LewisProject,Lisa Amos,LittleFreddie King,roots of NewOrleansMusic,Loyola university Commercial ensemble, Loyola StudentGroup,Muévelo, Original Hurricane BrassBand, Paul Sanchezand therolling road Show,Tim Laughlin,river eckert Band,ronnieLamarqueOrchestra with Hotrod Lincoln, ryan Batiste andraw revolution,SaxKixAve, SOuL BrassBand, richardScott, Spor ty’s BrassBand, Storyville Stompers BrassBand, Sunpie
andthe LouisianaSunspots, Tim Laughlin,T Marie andBayou Juju, VegasColaBand
Sunday,April 13
Amanda Shaw,AstralProject, Banu Gibson,Big ChiefMonk Boudreaux andthe Golden eagles, Buck town All-Stars, Creole String Beans, TheDixie Cups,erica Falls, George BrownBand, Gumbeaux Juice, HappyTalkBand, Helen Gillet:reBelle Musique, Higher Heig htsreg gaeBand, Honey Island SwampBand, Jeremy Davenpor t, Johnet te Downing, Josh Kagler andHarmonistic Praise Crusade, TheBig easy Boys,Koray Broussardand theZydecounit, Lost Bayouramblers, LosGüiros, Lynn Drur y, NewBreed,Onward BrassBand, Poissonrouge, redHot BrassBand, rockin’ Dopsie Jr.&the Zydeco Twisters, roderick “rev”Paulinand The Congregation,royal essence, Sam Kuslan,Shamarr Allen, Sweet Crude, Sula Spirit &Asase yaa’s (Mother earth) Song Circle,Treme BrassBand, Tyrone Duhon& Double Standard Zydeko,Wanda rouzan anda TasteofNew Orleans, WendellBrunious, youngPinstripe BrassBand —WillCoviello
@GambitBlake |askblake@gambitweekly.com
Hey Blake, I’ve livedhereall my life but only recently noticed four marble statues of human figures, oneoneachcorner of JacksonSquare. What can youtellmeabout them?
Dear reader, THOSEFIGURES DEPICTINGEACHOFTHE FOUR SEASONS aresaidtobeamong theoldeststatues in NewOrleans They date to theearly 1850s.
JacksonSquare, designed as military parade grounds, wasknown as the Placed’Armes during theFrenchcolonial period andPlaza de Armasduring Spanish rule.In1851, it wasrenamed JacksonSquarefor PresidentAndrew Jackson, military heroofthe Battle of NewOrleans.
Thestatues of thefourseasons appeared sometime around then. Notmuchisknown abouttheir creator or howtheycametobeplacedin thesquare.
An 1852 articleinthe DailyPicayune explainedthat“themarblestatues representing thefourseasons,which were received some months sincefrom theNorth,havebeenput up in Jackson Square andnow addmuchbeautyto theplace.”
Winter is describedasanold manwith a“beardedchinand muffledina cloak.”
Spring is ayoung girl with abunch of flowersinher hand,while autumn “wears theformofmaturewomanhood
ThespringstatueinJackson Square,taken in 1974.
with sickle at her girdle.” Finally, summerisa“youngman,withlegscrossed, abookheldtohis breast andluxuriant grapes restinguponwhatappears to be thetrunk of atreeuponwhich he leans.”
No storyabout statuesinJackson Square wouldbecompletewithout amention of thestatueofJackson himself. Accordingtothe Historic NewOrleans Collection,sculptor ClarkMills received thecommissionto create statuesofJackson fordisplay in Washington, D.C.,and NewOrleans. HisD.C.statue(in LafayetteSquare near theWhite House) waserected in 1853 andJackson Square’s in 1856 Therealsoare replicas in Nashville (erected 1880)and Jacksonville, Florida (1987).
“HOW MANY MARDIGRASVISITORS WISHTHEYCOULD ATTEND ACARNIVALBALL?” legendary restaurateur Owen BrennanSr. wrotein aFeb.17, 1950,columninThe New OrleansItem. In it,hemadea case forthe KreweofBacchus,but differentthanthe superkrewe we know today. It premieredasa Carnival ball 75 yearsago this month.
“New Orleans’ Carnival ballsare privateaffairs,” Brennanwrote.“Very fewvisitors ever receiveone of thepreciousinvitations.Thisyearthough, they canattend an honest-to-goodness Carnivalball.”
Brennan, thepatriarch of thelocal restaurant family,explained that theideaof stagingaCarnivalballfor visitors came from some of hiscolleaguesinthe hospitalityindustry.
“I heardagroup of travel agents wishingout loud forsomeway visitors couldbe admitted to Carnival balls,”hewrote
Forhelp, Brennanwould turn to Dr.Henry Larocca, captainofthe KreweofAlla. He convincedLarocca to restageAlla’s145-member1950tableau ball on thenight before MardiGras. Thelocationwould be theLyons Memorial Center on Louisiana Avenue.The ball shared thetheme of that year’s Alla ball,“ACinderellaStory.”
Bacchuspresented asecondballthe next year at theMunicipal Auditorium,but theideawentdormant when Brennandiedsuddenlyin1955.
In 1968 hisson,Owen“Pip” BrennanJr.,and hisfriends in thehospitality industry createdanew Carnival krewetotry to revitalize MardiGrasand appeal to visitors.Float builderBlaineKernremindedthem of theearlierkrewe hisfather hadstarted with asimilar mission.
Thenew KreweofBacchus —withits celebritymonarch,supersizedfloatsand post-paradeparty called therendezvous—rolledthe followingyear.
BL AK E VI EW
L E G AC Y LE GACY
THIRTY-SEVEN YEARSAGO ON JAN. 31,1988, Doug Williams steppedontothe fieldfor SuperBowlXXIIasthe starting quarterbackfor theWashingtonRedskins (now Commanders)–andintohistory Goingintothe game,the pressure on Williams was intense, to saythe least.
Though Williams wasn’t theonlyBlack quarterbackin theleague–legends Warren Moon andRandall Cunningham, forinstance, were starters in theleague–theywere
DOUG WILLIA MS’ HISTORIC SUPER BOWL WIN IS STILLSHAPING THENFL
BY TY ON PO SE Y
oftenunfairlyconsideredodditiesorevengimmicks, and thepositionwas stillwidelyconsideredbywhite coaches, owners andfansasthe domain of whitemen
“Atthattimeremembertherehad neverbeena Blackquarterback in that position even though they had been playingfootballfor years,”WilliamstoldGambit in January.
the firsttowin it,leading Washington to a42to10routof John Elway’sDenverBroncos
Williams triedhis best to putthe addedpressureof historyaside as he prepared forthe bigday
“I knew theimpact, butwould notspeak on it.Iwanted it to just runits course,” he says.“Iwould just tell myself that Iwas nothereasWashington’sBlack quarterback, butasthe quarterbackofthe Redskins at thetime, knowingall alongthatIwas Blackand wasgoing to be judged that way.”
Though it wouldtakeanother 26 yearsuntil RussellWilsonbecame thesecondBlack quarterbackto winaSuper Bowl,Williams’ winand performancecausedaseismic shift in theleague, breaking thequarterbackracebarrier andpavingthe way forgenerations of players.
It’s something“today’sBlack quarterbacks do nothavethatto worryabout,because of thenumber of them in theNFL today,”Williams says.“It’s such agoodthing,and theway it should have been along time ago.”
DOUGLASLEE WILLIAMSWAS
BORN AUG. 9, 1955, in Zachary, Louisiana, to Robert andLaura Williams, thesixth of eightchildren.
sion-makingand leadershipqualities were undeniable,and whilea lotof colleges overlooked him, EddieRobinson, thelegendary head coachat GramblingState University,offered himascholarship
Williams attributes alot of his successtocoach Robinson “I don’tknowifIwould be where Iamtoday if therehad been no EddieRobinson. He putthatspark into everyone,thatwilltobemore, to be thebest,”Williams said after Robinson died in 2007,according to an AP storyatthe time.
Earlyonitwas apparent he was askilled athlete,playing multiple sports untilinhighschoolhesettled on football.
Williamsplayedfootballat ChaneyvilleHighSchoolwherehe threwfor 1180 yardspassing and 22 totaltouchdownsinhis senior season.Those impressive numbers, especially forthe time,would usually lead to beinga highly soughtafterrecruit
ButBlack quarterbacks were often overlooked andpushedtoother positions. They were rarely given thesameopportunities as their whitecounterparts.
Williams hadnointerestinchangingpositions
He wasmeant to be aquarterback, standing 6feet4 inches tall and weighing well over 200pounds.
Williams also creditsJames “Shack”Harris, another Grambling Statequarterback whoshattered barriersinprofessionalfootball, as a majorinfluence at thetime.
Harris,alsoaLouisiana native, became thefirst Blackquarterback to startaregular-seasonNFL game in 1969 andlater wasthe firstto startand winaplayoff game.He wasnamed theMVP of the1974 ProBowl.
Williams flourished at Grambling, throwing forover8,000 yards and93touchdownsduringhis collegecareer. He ledthe Tigers to threeSWACchampionships and establishedhimself as oneofthe most dominant quarterbacks in the country, Blackorwhite
In fact, Williams came in fourth in the 1977 Heisman trophy voting.
DESPITE HIS DOMINANCE at Grambling, Williams faced skepticism heading into the 1978 NFL Draft.
Black quarterbacks were still viewed with uncertainty, with many coaches and executives unwilling to trust them as leaders of a franchise.
“I don’t think black quarterbacks have been given the opportunity and the patience,” Willliams told the New York Times in 1978. “White quarterbacks like Bert Jones and Terry Bradshaw needed time But their teams let ‘em learn. You learn from experience.”
Fortunately for Williams, one coach didn’t have that same outlook: John McKay of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers McKay had shown as the head coach at the University of Southern California that he wasn’t against starting a black quarterback when he started Jimmy Jones.
And in 1978, the Buccaneers selected Williams 17th overall, making him the first Black quarterback ever drafted in the first round.
WILLIAMS QUICKLY PROVED he belonged in the NFL, leading Tampa Bay to three playoff appearances in five seasons.
However, despite his success, he was reportedly the lowest-paid starting quarterback in the league, making just $120,000 a year
In 1983 Williams wanted to be paid his worth as one of the best young
quarterbacks in the NFL, asking for a multi-year deal worth approximately $600,000 a season
When Tampa Bay only offered $400,000, the contract negotiations fell apart, and Williams felt he had no choice but to sit out as he was not going to settle for less than he thought he was worth.
“I hope the Bucs go 0-16 but all my friends make the Pro Bowl,” Williams said that fall
Williams signed a multi-season contract with the USFL’s Oklahoma Outlaws that paid him $3 million and a $1 million signing bonus. Williams spent two seasons with the Outlaws before the league folded
Out of a job, Williams was considering a career change when Joe Gibbs, who’d coached him in Tampa and was now Washington’s head coach, came calling. Initially, Gibbs wanted him to come in as a backup to Jay Schroeder – and potentially the team’s starter.
“Doug was going to get his chance I really believed that I really believed he would do a lot for our team.”
Gibbs Told Andscape in 2023
Washington began its 1987 season with Schroeder as the starting quarterback. Williams played several games during the strike-shortened season, putting his considerable talents as a player and leader on display. When the team reached the playoffs that year, Gibbs made a bold decision: Williams would become Washington’s starting quarterback in the post-season.
Williams’ post season play was master ful, including wins over the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings.
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Allthatwas left forWilliams to accomplishsomething many neverthought he or anyone wholookedlikehim coulddo: win four quarters of football againstElway’s DenverBroncos
WHILEWILLIAMSWAS DOINGHIS
BEST to focusonfootballprior to the game,the worldwas also focusing on his race.Inpredominantly BlackD.C.–where yearsofracialdiscriminationbyprevious owners of theteamhad soured many residentstothe Redskins –Williamshad quicklybecomeanicon.
Indeed,the fact that aBlack manwould be thestartingquarterback in theSuper Bowl became amajor storylineofthat year’s game,tothe pointthatareporter famously askedWilliams“howlonghave youbeenaBlack quarterback?”
Things didn’t startoff greatfor Williams or Washington during thegame. TheBroncosquickly jumped outtoa10-pointlead in thefirst quarter, during whichWilliams brieflyleftthe game with akneeinjury. Butwhen he returned,hedelivered one of themostextraordinary performances in SuperBowlhistory.Injustthe second quarter, Williams threwfourtouchdown passes and228 yards, both SuperBowl records. He also tied theSuper Bowl record forthe longesttouchdown pass with an 81-yardpassplaytoRicky Sandersand wasnamed SuperBowlMVP during the team’s historic win.
Theideathatthe Blackquarterback was inferior wasnow puttorest.
Williams’success wasn’t just amilestone, it wasproof of concept. It showed theworld that aquarterback’s abilityto lead,inspire,and winhas nothingtodo with race andredefined what waspossible, openingdoors forevery Blackquarterback whocameafter him. Andindoing so,he didn’t just change thegame, he changed theperceptionofwho couldleadit.
Though Williams’victory didn’t erasethe systemic obstaclesthatBlack quarterbacks continuedtoface, it undeniably opened doors, forcingteams,executivesand fans to rethinkoutdated stereotypesabout leadership at thequarterback position. Nearlyfourdecades later, thelistof Blackquarterbacksleading teamstoday goes farbeyondjustafew names. Patrick Mahomes, LamarJackson,Jalen Hurts andJaydenDaniels have allcemented themselves as franchisequarterbacks –with questionsofracehardly, if ever, beingraised.
Meanwhile, playerslikeC.J.Stroud, DakPrescott, RussellWilsonand Kyler Murray arecontinuingtopushthe position forward, provingthatBlack quarterbacks aren’t just thriving,they’re redefining the game of football
In fact,thingshavechanged so much that this year will be thesecondtimetwo Black quarterbacks will startinthe Super Bowl,a fact that will largelygounnoticed.And that allstartswithWilliams
Mahomes, whowillstart this week forthe Chiefs,iskeenlyaware of that fact,notingina2023video produced by ESPN “There’s been alot of greatBlack quarterbacks throughout theentireNFL’s lifespan,and they haven’tgot thesame opportunitiesthatI’vebeengiven now.
Doug Williams,the firstBlack quarterback to be in aSuper Bowl ... That opened the door forme.”
In theyears sincehis playingcareer ended, Williams hasremainedapowerful voiceinthe NFL.
He’s held multiple front-office roles, includingpositions with theTampa BayBuccaneersand WashingtonCommanders. Theseroles have allowedhim to spread themessage of equality andhow notto judgeplayers by misguidedstereotypes, butratherbythe talent andleadership qualities each respective prospect has.
Ro Brown, asportscasterfromNew Orleans, haslongadmired Williamsfor not only breakingbarriers butembracing the responsibility that came with it
“There arepeoplewho areinthe position of trailblazers or thefirst African Americanstodothings, buttheydon’t accept themantle,”Brown said in an interviewwithGambit. “Dougwas oneof thepeoplewho accepted that weight,and he wasaware of what it couldmeanfor the future of Blackquarterbacksand howthey were seen.”
ForWilliams, he sees this year’s game as theculmination of that work
When he played,the SuperBowl“was notanevenplaying fieldbackthen.But thankGod,Ireallythink we have made it to thefinishline. Quarterbacks arenot judged todaybythe coloroftheir skin,but their abilityand leadershipskillsand cantheybe aguy to uplift theorganization.”
Doug Williams with hisson,D.J.Williams
EV EN TS EV EN TS SU PE R BO WL GU ID E
The Super Bowl will be the biggest event in town this weekend, but there’s plenty going on surrounding the big game. Here’s a list of mini-festivals, parties, promotional events and more
FEB. 3 SUPER BOWL OPENING NIGHT
Players and coaches from both teams make their first official public appearances at the Caesars Superdome and take questions from the media. Tickets $20.
JAMNOLA, the experiential museum full of interactive displays by local artists, will close its home on Royal Street and open a new spot in Marigny. Its final week is a celebration of football, and patrons can take selfies with football installations, including murals featuring Philadelphia and Kansas City.
JAMNOLA, 2832 Royal St. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 3-10 jamnola.com
FEB. 4 GLOW UP CL ASSIC
The glow-in-the-dark flag football game for New Orleans youth teams uses black lights and UV jerseys to get its night-game effect. Event sponsor Toyota also will unveil lights for the field, supporting the youth sports nonprofit the18thward.org.
18th Ward Park, 3933 Jumonville St 6:15 p.m. Tuesday the18thward.org
FEB. 5 SUPER BOWL SOULFUL CELEBR ATION
The musical event features Master P, The Isley Brothers, Yolanda Adams, Big Freedia, Trombone Shorty, Lucky Daye, Muni Long, the NFL Players Choir and more Rocsi Diaz and Bill Bellamy host the event, which will be taped for broadcast Feb. 8 on FOX.
Mahalia Jackson Theater 7:30 p.m. Wednesday superbowlsoulful.com
FEB.5-8 SUPER BOWL EXPERIENCE
The NFL turns the Convention Center into a football hub with interactive games, player autograph sessions, displays of Super Bowl Rings and the Lombardi Trophy, a merchandise shop and more Admission $20-$40, free for kids under 13
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center 3-10 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 10 a.m.10 p.m. Saturday nfl.com/onepass
FEB. 6 THE ART OF WHISKEY THE BIG GAME WHISKEY EXPERIENCE
Sample up to 100 different whiskeys while you snack on hors d’oeuvres and listen to “authentic live jazz.” Tickets $200-$300.
M.S. Rau, 622 Royal St. 7-11 p.m. Thursday eventbrite.com
FEB. 6 ORIGINS: AN NFL COLLECTIONS POP-UP
The NFL Shop highlights three New
Orleans brands this year: Jerin “Jerk” Beasley, Statement Goods and Sneaker Politics The pop-up event features new designs and refreshments, and new items will be available online beginning Feb. 6.
226 Decatur St. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday RSVP to nfl.com/origins
FEB. 6 THE SUPER SHOWDOWN
Travis Hunter, Malik Nabers, Thaddboii and others associated with the Influencer Football League (Ins tagram: @influencerfootballleague) , plus high school players, will gather for a seven-versus-seven football competition, plus meet and greets and more Tickets $75-$99.
Tad Gormley Stadium 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday
FEB. 6 ANTI-DEI BACKLASH IN SPORTS AND SOCIET Y PANEL AT SUPER BOWL LIX
Moderated by Dr Jeffrey O’Brien, CEO of The Institute for Sport and Social Justice, panelists will include Dr. C. Keith
Harrison, Dr Lori Martin, Dr Casey Schreiber, Kenneth L. Shropshire, JD and Dr. Deborah Stroman.
Xavier University of Louisiana, University Center Ballroom, 2nd Floor, 1 Drexel Drive
3-4:30 p.m. Thursday eventbrite.com
FEB. 6 2025 DITK A AND JAWS SUPER BOWL VIP CIGAR PART Y
Hosted by Ron “JAWS” Jaworski and Brian Urlacher, the event features an open bar, food, cigars and a silent auction to support the Jaws Youth Playbook and Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund Tickets $500-$75,000
FEB. 6 20TH ANNUAL JOHNNIE COCHRAN JR. SALUTE TO EXCELLENCE LUNCHEON
There’s a roundtable discussion on the role of women in professional sports, led
PH OT O BY DA VI D MAR TI N / TH E AP
TheMardi Gras Parade Building CardGame!
food and more Ticket prices start at $400 all-inclusive.
by NFL COO Dasha Smith and including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Tickets $100
Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 601 Loyola Ave. noon-2 p.m. eventbrite.com
FEB. 6 PL AYMAKERS PART Y PRESENTED BY FHM & BABES IN TOYL AND
Mardi Gras World 9 p.m. Friday shaqsfunhouse.com
FEB. 7 SUPER BOWL WEEKEND KICKOFF
Featuring 50 Cent, Glorilla, Latto and other performers and celebrities. Tickets $150-$25,000.
Hosted by Sommer Ray and Hall of Fame football player Michael Irvin, the event will feature Dr Romance and Kaeyd. Proceeds will go towards helping Hounds & Heroes Tickets $88-$20,000
Ohm Lounge, 601 Tchoupitoulas St. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursday eventbrite.com
FEB. 6 NIGHTCAP: NSFW
NFL veterans Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson bring their internet show to the Mahalia Jackson Theater for a live show Tickets $39.50-$119.50
Mahalia Jackson Theater, 1419 Basin St 8 p.m. Thursday mahaliajacksontheater.com
FEB. 6-8 TOSTITO’S CANTINA
Tostito’s takes over St. Roch Market, and market vendors offer dishes made with the tortilla chips. Items include hot shrimp dip, a Cubano crunch quesadilla, spicy tuna nachos, Burmese-inspired tortilla soup and more St. Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Ave. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday strochmarket.com
FEB. 6-9 FREE CHEESE FROM ROBOTS
AI-powered delivery robots will be roaming through parts of the city, handing out free Cracker Barrel Cheese Bites and Cheese sticks. Check the company’s Instagram for more details. Various locations, @crackerbarrelcheese on Instagram
FEB. 7-8 LOUISIANA CULTURE FESTIVAL
The festival in the French Market features music by Corey Ledet Zydeco, Mia Borders, Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue, Partners-N-Crime, Buku do Choro and more The Culture Corner stage hosts cooking demonstrations, storytelling, traditional dance, a talk on haunted history and more There also are kids’ activities and food vendors. French Market and Dutch Alley 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Frenchmarket.org
FEB. 7 SHAQ’S FUN HOUSE
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, aka DJ Diesel at this event, hosts a party with music and more. The music lineup includes Ludacris, John Summit, Myles O’Neal and Irie There’s a circus theme and carnival rides, circus performers,
Empire, 2222 Poydras St. 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Friday eventbrite.com
FEB. 7 SUPER BOWL PRE-GAME PART Y SOUNDS BY DIPLO
Featuring performances by Diplo and Unkommon Tickets $39-$20,000 Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Blvd. 9 p.m. – 4 a.m. Friday eventbrite.com
FEB. 7 OFF THE FIELD NFL WIVES ASSOCIATION 24TH ANNUAL CHARIT Y FASHION SHOW
Featuring “a runway presentation of this season’s latest trends and stunning fashions,” a portion of the proceeds will go to Sideline Pass, the Robert Royal Foundation, OTF Scholarships and other charities. Tickets $250-$450. Canal Place, 333 Canal St. 1-4 p.m. Friday eventbrite.com
FEB. 8 THE FAMILY BUSINESS SUPER BOWL WEEKEND WATCH PART Y
Featuring an all you can eat buffet, cash bar, prizes and more Tickets $50-$150 1050 Calliope St 5-10 p.m. Friday eventbrite.com
FEB. 8 PIGSKINS & PUMPS: A SPORTS-THEMED DR AG SHOW
Featuring performances by Analyitka, Lexis Redd D’Ville and Vantasia Divine NOLA ‘Nacular, 1172 Magazine St. 6-10 p.m. eventbrite.com
FEB. 8 SUPER BOWL PARADE
The Carnival-style parade features NFLthemed floats, college and high school marching bands, local marching groups and NFL-themed throws Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves is the king. The route starts at Esplanade Avenue and Decatur Street and crosses the French Quarter to the Warehouse district. French Quarter and Warehouse District 10 a.m. Saturday nolasuperbowl.com
FEB. 8 SUPER BOWL LIX PART Y: THE ALL BL ACK AFFAIR IN ST YLE Featuring music by DJ TR33, Dj LA Regg and DJ Paradise, hosted by Saints player Jaylan Ford and iHeart Radio’s AD Berry.
Admission $50-$1,850 presale, $100 at the door
Carver Theater, 2101 Orleans Ave.
8 p.m.-2 p.m. Saturday eventbrite.com
FEB. 8
THE LONGEST TAILGATE
Smirnoff vodka hosts a tailgate event featuring a 60-foot tailgate truck. Atlanta-based chef and TV personality David Rose will prepare a jambalaya (Dirty Birdstyle, we guess) The event also features appearances by former pro football players Warrick Dunn and Vernon Davis, plus cocktail samples and more. Attendees must be over 20 years old.
201 Canal St 1-6 p.m. Saturday
FEB. 8 FAMILY ST YLE FOOD
FESTIVAL
There’s food and music at the festival at Brandan “BMike” Odums’ Studio B. Odums also will host the event and there will be music from Mannie Fresh, Sango, DJ Towfu and more. There’s food from local restaurants including Compere Lapin, Commander’s Palace, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, ComAcamaya, Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe, Mister Mao, Cane & Table, Chicken’s Kitchen, Hot Stuff, Turkey and the Wolf, Ms Linda the Yakamein Lady, Jewel of the South and more. Free admission. RSVP required for admission.
Studio B, 2941 Royal St
3-8 p.m. Saturday RSVP at complexfamilystylenola. splashthat.com
FEB. 8 TASTE OF THE NFL
The tasting event features food from an array of New Orleans and visiting chefs plus food sponsors and more. Celebrity chefs include TV personalities Andrew Zimmern, Carla Hall, Tim Love Lasheeda Perry and Mark Bucher Local chefs include John Folse, Edgar “Dook” Chase, Serigne Mbaye, Dee Levigne, Susan Spicer, Sue Zemanick, Alfred Singleton and more Tickets $750
National World War II Museum, 945 Magazine St
4 p.m. Saturday tasteofthenfl.com
FEB. 8 2025 MA XIM
SUPER BOWL PART Y
Featuring performances by Loud Luxury, Timbaland, Plastik Funk, DJ unKommon and Le’Veon Bell. Tickets $180-$25,000.
Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Blvd.
9 p.m.-4 a.m. Saturday eventbrite.com
FEB. 9 NOLA SUPER BOWL LIX
SUNDAY SECOND LINE
CELEBRIT Y VIP PART Y
Featuring brass bands, DJs, second line
dancing lessons, food and more. Tickets
$50-$150
NOLA Palms Event Venue, 5961 Bullard Ave.
4 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Sunday eventbrite.com
FEB. 9 SUPER BOWL LIX PANCAKE BRUNCH, TAILGATE, CR AWFISH BOIL AND WATCH PART Y
The party has music by the-Super-MostFantastic-All-Star-Band the Next Level Band, raffles, a balloon drop and more Tickets $0-$360.
Cafe Negril, 606 Frenchmen St. 3-9:30 p.m. Sunday eventbrite.com
FEB. 9 SUPER BOIL CR AWFISH BOIL AND SUPER BOWL WATCH PART Y
There are DJs and complimentary crawfish and cocktails from 3 to 4 p.m.
Tickets $0-$2,500.
Empire, 2222 Poydras St. 3-9:30 p.m. Sunday eventbrite.com
FEB. 9 SUPER BOWL WEEKEND
FINALE, FEATURING LIL BABY AND FRIENDS
The final night of Larry Morrow’s Super Bowl takeover of Empire Tickets $200-$25,000 Empire, 2222 Poydras St. 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Sunday eventbrite.com
FEB. 9 GUY’S FL AVORTOWN TAILGATE
Guy Fieri’s tailgate party features music from Flava Flav, Diplo and Cowboy Mouth. There also are games and food options include local dishes, Guy Fieri concepts and food samples from sponsors Admission is free with RSVP, and there are tasting ticket levels
Mardi Gras World noon-5 p.m. Sunday guysflavortowntailgate.com
MONDAY
TheBig Game
Mon, Feb3-Sat,Feb. 8|Game: Sun, Feb 9-5:30PM Kickoff
TH EG U ID E
TO SEEING NE WORLEA NS DU RI NG TH E SU PE RBOWL
GE TO UT OF TH EN FL’S ‘C LE AN ZO NE ’
DE NJ OY TH ER EA LN EW OR LE AN S!
BY JO HN ST AN TO
N| GAM BI TE DI TO R
SO,YOU’REINNEW ORLEANSFOR THESUPER BOWL andlooking forfun things to see, do andeat Now, youcould just stay in what thecityeuphemisticallycalls the“cleanzone,”which makesupthe area around theCaesars Superdome, theCentral Business District andFrenchQuarter.And believeus, there’s plenty to do down thereonaregular weekend, let alonethisweekend,which will be packed with events andsuchtokeepyou busy.
Butinstead of simply lettingthe NFLand theirbig corporatesponsorssqueezeevery last dollar outof your wallet,why notget outofthe proverbial bubble, checkout some otherparts of thecityand spread some of theeconomiclargessearound?
Here aresometipsfor bars,restaurants andvenuesyou mightwanttocheck outwhile you’re in town forthe game to really gettoknowNew Orleans.
HITBOURBON STREET
YES, BOURBONSTREET is an obviouschoiceand, strictly speaking,not really aplace most locals who aren’t workingtheregoveryoften.Ifyou know folks here, they mayverywelltellyou to avoidit. Butthey arewrong
Thefactofthe matter is,eveninthe best of times, BourbonStreetisworth checking out, wartsand all. It’s an impossibly loud,chaotic scenethathas to be experienced. Andwhile itstrashy, overserved nature hasincreasinglylittletodowith“NewOrleans” culture, it very much does have quitea bittodowith American cultureinall itstrashy, overserved and hyper-commercialized reality.
This year,though, there’sevenmorereasonto hitBourbon forastroll. TheNew Year’s terrorist attack hitthe stripand surroundingbusinesseshard, shutting them down forseveral days.Thatnot only cost thebusinessesand workersthere quiteabit of money, it also seriouslytraumatized them
NewOrleans is arelativelysmall city,sonearlyeveryone in town waseither directly affected or knows someonewho was. Anditwasn’tjustthe businesses on Bourbonthattooka significantfinancial andpsychological hit. From Erin Rose to Molly’s,bartenders andother serviceindustryworkers notonlyhad to
processthe trauma of theattack— they hadtodoso whilealsolosingalot of money.
Thefactisbartenders, musicians, dancersand buskersonBourbon rely on touristdollars to make ends meet,and they don’thaveany margin forerror Combinethatwithanill-conceived effort last fall to “clean up”the area by targetingkidsplaying buckets, shot-girls andrandomperformers, folkswho make theirlivingonBourbon have takenarealhit of late So take awalkdownBourbon Street.Justremembertobring plenty of ones to tipeveryonefromthe bucket kids to your favorite dancer!
GETYOURBOILON
THECRA ZY BLIZZARD WE JUST HAD NOT WITHSTANDING, thelasteight months or so have been very good forcrawfishloversinSouth Louisiana. So much so that we startedboilin’ last month, a full monthatleast before thepotsand burnerscome outingoodyears
Thereare tons of places to getgoodcrawfishin town —althoughmostofthem aren’t in theQuarter To geta good boil,you’llneedtoheadout abit or find somebody to boil foryou
Poundfor pound, oneofour favorite spotsfor crawfish (liveorboiled) is Castnet SeafoodMarket in NewOrleans East.Inadditiontoselling fresh seafoodtocookathome, they also offersomegreat po-boys, friedfish, rawand char-grilled oystersand, of course,boiledshrimp, crabsand crawfish.Besure to call aheadifyou’regoing to be ordering formore than yourself.It’slocated at 10826Hayne Blvd.and is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdaythrough Saturday. If you’re really feelinglikeliving, youcould even hold your ownboil, buta word of warning: Theonly thingeasyabout it is messingitup. As acompromise, youcould always paysomebodytocomearoundand do it forya. Whileitcan be expensive, it is absolutely worthitbecause aboilismorethanjustfood. It’s aboutcommunity andculture
There’splentyofplacesyou canfindonlineto do your boil,including nolaboils.com andthe Gulf CoastCrawfishCompany.But if youwantthe very best crawfish in NewOrleans,you’regoing to have
SuperBowlclean zone boundaries: In thedaysbeforeand afterthe 2025 Super Bowl,anyonewanting to advertiseitems or services in specifiedareas will be prohibited from doingsowithout aspecial eventpermit issued by thecity.
Johnny “Black MagicBoil” Ciscowent down to thecrossroadsand came back amasterofthe boil
AM E. BI GB IT
to hitup Johnny“BlackMagic Boil” Cisco.Bornand raised in Bywater, Johnny’s gotthe perfecttouch to make that boil fire!Hecan be reachedat johnnycisco23@gmail.com
EATLIKEA KING
YOUHAVETOACTUALLYWORK AT EATING BADLYINNEW ORLEANS. Virtuallyevery neighborhood in thecityisfullofdelicious choices. And like everything else on this list,while theQuarter andthe CBDcould easily keep youbusythe entire time you’re in town,hereare just acoupleofstandouts worthgivingatry
Katie’s is an institutionnot only in theMid-Cityneighborhood, butNew Orleansmoregenerally.Aclassic neighborhood joint, it’s been serving deliciousNew Orleans-stylefood—and sinceHurricane Katrina, pizzas —for more than 40 years. 3701 Iberville St., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday,11a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and10a.m.-5p.m.Sundays
While Sidecar hasa greatselection of burgers, tacosand otherfare, the starsofthe show areundoubtedly the oysters. Theraw barregularly features greatselectionsfromthe East and West coasts as well as some of thebest Gulf Coastoysters.Combinedwith reasonable prices andagreat bar, it’s aperfect spot foranight of slurping. 1114 ConstanceSt.,4-9 p.m. Monday throughThursday, 4p.m.-midnight
Originally startedasa veganrestaurant, Sneaky Pickle hasgrown into one of thebestrestaurantsintown. While themenunow includes anumberof meat andseafood dishes,their vegan andvegetarianfareisoutstanding Thebar program, meanwhile, is also topnotch,abletoconcoct anynumber of craftcocktails whilemaintaining a simple shot-and-a-beer-styleyou’d expect in aBywater bar. 3200 Burgundy St., 11 a.m.-3:30p.m.and 5-10 p.m. Thursday throughMonday, 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays andWednesdays. NewOrleans hasanenormousVietnamese population –and as aresult, some of thebestVietnamesefood in thecountry.Somuchsothatfrom theGardenDistricttothe East,it’s impossible to name allthe greatspots forpho,banhmiand otherdishes. One standout,however,is TanDinh,an institutionlocated on theWestBank in Gretna.Don’t letthe pretty lights of thebridgedissuadeyafrommaking theshort journeyacrossthe river, it is worthit. 1705 LafayetteSt.,Gretna. 10:30a.m.-2:45 p.m. and5-8:45p.m Tuesdaythrough Thursday,10:30 a.m.-8:45p.m.Fridays andSaturdays A2024James BeardAward semi-finalist, Mister Mao is oneofthe newer restaurantstomakewaves in New Orleans’ food scene. With aconstantly changing menu,MisterMao combines flavorsand dishes from around the
Kids drum on paintbuckets on BourbonStreetfor tips
world in unique and flavorful ways. It’s a great spot if you’re looking for something outside the traditional Cajun and Creole fare 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., 5-9 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday, 5-10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; weekend brunch is served 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
BOOZE, TUNES AND OTHER THINGS TO DO
IF YOU CAN’T FIND A BAR IN NEW ORLEANS THAT SUITS YOU, you need to reconsider your life choices. Whether you’re looking for an upscale cocktail, a shot and a beer in a dark corner bar or some place humming with the energy of college kids with questionable IDs, there’s a bar for you.
There’s no shor tage of recommendations for bars on the internet and in your group chats, so rather than do that work all over again, let’s focus (mostly) on a particular type of New Orleans bar: those that have live entertainment.
One of the newest additions to the city’s bar scene is the Original Nite Cap on St. Bernard Avenue. Owned and operated by burlesque performer Bella Blue and her husband Andrew Principe, the Original Nite Cap is part neighborhood bar, part cocktail lounge and part cabaret. They’ve also opened Pulcinella!, an Italian restaurant that leans into the flavors of Sicily, in the same building, and it’s without a doubt
one of the best new places to eat in the area
On Thursday, the Nite Cap hosts the Fifth Element: A Nerdy Burlesque Experience, and on Friday, they’ll have an open mic night for women comics followed by karaoke. And of course, they’ll have the game on Sunday if you’re not going to the Superdome. 1300 St Bernard Ave., 6 p.m. to close.
One of the bright spots of the pandemic restrictions was the opening of the Broadside, an outdoor music venue in Mid-City Originally a simple stage with chairs and tables set-up, the owners have built it out into an amazing space to see live music, with multiple bars and covered seating. There’s even a new restaurant, Nikkei Izakaya, which serves a variety of Japanese and Japanese-Creole fusion dishes.
On Saturday, Broadside will host Fete du Void’s Carnivoid festival, featuring LSD Clownsystem, High Step Society, rapper 504IcyGrl and more 600 N. Broad St., 5-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
If you’re lucky enough to be in town on Thursday, ya gotta get over to the Bywater and get a seat at the bar at Vaughan’s Lounge Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet every Thursday, sometime round 10:30 p.m. or so Henry is one of the best trombone players in the city and his band is a veritable who’s who of the city’s brass band, jazz and funk musicians. Be
GRE AT TASTE FROM SIDEWALK TO NE UTR AL GROUND
warned,it’scashonly andyou’llwant to getthereearly. Butevenifyou don’tgoonaThursday, Vaughan’sis stillamustvisit spot.You couldeven make an eveningofitand visitthe infamous BywaterBarmudaTriangle made up of thenearby J&Js,Vaughan’s and BJ’s Lounge.4229DauphineSt., noon-2 a.m.
Of course,sometimes youjustneed aregular oldbar,someplace relatively quietand away from thechaos –especially when it’s been crankedup to 11 billionthankstoall thosecorporate sponsorships andthemedevents that have takenoverahugepartof NewOrleans.
Pal’sLounge in Mid-City is just such aplace.It’saquintessentialNew Orleansneighborhoodbar,where everybodyknows everybodyelse, andevenifyou don’tyou probably will before theblackouthits. Andyou don’t have to take ourwordfor it –inaddition to beingDameHelen Mirren’s favorite placetodrink in thecity, it’s also been votedasthe city’s best neighborhood barinGambit’sBestofNew Orleans readers’ poll.949 N. Rendon St., 3 p.m.-3 a.m.
If youfindyourselfheading Uptown (rememberyourpassport!)for dinner before an earlynight back at thehotel, well my friend,Ihavesomenewsfor ya.You mightaswellcometoterms with realitynow.Thatearly nightis abouttotakeaturn, becauseyou will be gettingadrink or 12 at Snakeand Jake’s.Don’t sweatit, youwon’t be thefirst –and most certainly notthe last –weary traveler to be luredintothe bar’scozyconfinesbythe twinklingof theirfamousChristmas lights.You’ll
tellyourselfyou’reonlyhavingone.But that’s alie
Oneofthe best timestogoto Snakeand Jake’s is actually on the earlyside. That wayyou canwatch the change betweenthe older, neighborhood regulars andthe young, sweaty collegekid regulars that’llpackthe bar sometime aftermidnight. 7612 OakSt., 7p.m.-7a.m
GO (NORTH)WEST, YOUNGMAN!
SWAMPTOURS HAVE LONG BEEN ASTAPLEOFANY VISITTONEW
ORLEANS. Andwhile gators aremostly hibernatingthistimeofyear, there’s alot more to aLouisiana swamp. A good tour will notonly teachyou about thefragile ecologyofour area.It’ll also give youabetterunderstanding of the cultures that make up SouthLouisiana, howtheyare inextricably tied to this placeand whyitisvitally important that we protectour region from theeffectsofclimate change,development andindustrialpollution
Runout of De Pope Tavern in Violet, the Happiness BayouTours offers a varietyoftourpackagesled by Captain George Allnet.LikeeverythinginSouth Louisiana, it’s adecidedly laidback deal:theyrecommend gettingthere earlysoyou canput back afew cold ones andstock up on provisions. Thebar’s kitchenhas somethingfor everyone,fromboiledseafood and gumbotopizza andmozzarellasticks. Youcan also buypremade cocktailsby thehalf-gallon or gallon to take with youonthe tour.For more information
or to book a tour, check happinessbayoutours.com 6201 E. St Bernard Highway, Violet
If you’re in town for more than just the weekend, have a rental car and want to check out other parts of South Louisiana, you might want to consider heading up to Houma. The town itself is quite lovely and boasts a number of great spots to eat and drink.
One of my favorites for eating is, of course, Boudreau & Thibodeau’s Cajun Cookin’ Named after the two legendary characters of Cajun dad jokes, the restaurant serves up huge portions of classic Cajun food in a boisterous, fun environment. I don’t normally eat crawfish in restaurants, but I’ve had theirs and they’re pretty, pretty delicious. 5602 West Main St., Houma; 10:30a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
As for drinking, there’s only one spot you’d find me in Houma and that’s the Intracoastal Club. It’s one of the best spots on the Gulf Coast to see avantgarde, indie and wonderfully weird music. It is the sort of bar that once you sit down, you’ll feel like it’s your hometown regular
It’s also an important space for a lot of folks in the bayou parishes The Bergerons, who own the bar, have made it into one of the most inclusive and open spaces in southern Louisiana, so much so they’ve been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for creating a safe space for local trans and queer folks. On Saturday, Feb. 8, they’ll also host a drag show featuring Kandy Cayne, Connie Hung and Roslynn Aphrodite and more. 8448 Main St., Houma; 5 p.m.-2 am And finally, while you’re out there, be sure to hit up Bourgeois Meat Market. They’ve got tons of Cajun spices and other products, in particular meats like tasso ham and a variety of boudin styles that you can bring home Their boudin burritos are especially delicious.
3700 W. Park Ave., Gray; 7 a.m.-5 pm, Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays.
MEANWHILE, OVER ON THE NORTH SHORE
IF HITTING CA JUN COUNTRY
ISN’T YOUR THING but you still want to get out of the city for a drive, heading to the North Shore is always a sure bet. First of all, you’ll get to enjoy the thrill of driving across the Causeway Bridge, the longest continuous span of bridge over a body of water in the world. And when we say thrill, we mean it: the bridge can be a little terrifying when there’s no traffic and nary a cloud in the sky, and when there’s fog it can be downright dangerous. So take it slow and watch your six when taking the drive.
Once on the other side of the lake, a must see is the Abita Mystery House. The Mystery House is well, it’s impossible to really explain. The best way to describe it is if Pee Wee Herman and John Waters had opened one of those ’50s era roadside attractions made up of all the weird yet oddly wholesome things tumbling about in their brains, shook it up, let it sit abandoned for a decade or two and then charged $5 to come and see the chaos. Basically, it’s magic if slightly rusted and well worth the entrance fee. 22275 Highway 36, Abita Springs, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
If you’re feeling peckish after touring the oddities, stop into Pat’s Rest
Awhile on the way home Located on Mandeville’s lakefront, Pat’s serves great cocktails and fresh local seafood in a picturesque, lakeside environment Formerly a hotel, the grounds are beautiful, which makes for a great space to eat outdoors 2129 Lakeshore Drive, Mandeville; 5-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-9:30 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sundays.
The Abita Mystery House is a one-ofa-kind collection of various oddities and a fixture in the town
Experience Counts:DudleyDeBosier, Your TrustedPersonal Injury Lawyers
For15years,DudleyDebosierhas proudly represented thousands of Louisianaresidents and recoveredbillionsofdollars forour clients.
Whileweoperate as onecohesivefamily, we understand thatevery individual makesadifference. Ourpar tners- Chad, Steve, andJames-bringdiverse backgrounds andexperiences to thefrm,each contributing to oursharedmission.
Chad Dudley,originallyfromSouthernCalifornia andraisedinHawaii,proudly represents Louisiana as adevoted LSUalumnus. Sincehis frst jobafer lawschool, he hasbeenasteadfast advocate for injured individuals, workingtoensuretheyreceive thejustice they deserve. He also playsavital role in thecommunity by consulting with over 200personal injur yfrmsnationwide.
As aBaton Rougenative, SteveDeBosierembodies thespiritofLouisiana andthe prideofhis beloved LSUTigers. Hisearly work with insurancecompanies provided hi mwithawell-roundedunderstandingofthe legalfeld, giving himaunique perspectiveonhow to best servehis clients. Steve’s dedication reachesbeyondthe cour troom; oneof
hismostcherishedmoments at Dudley DeBosier wasdonatinganew adaptive bike to Ivor yDuplechin andher family throughthe McLindon Family Foundation,which highlights hiscommitmentto community service.
JamesPeltier,self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest LSUFan,” hasdedicated hiscareertoadvocating forothers. Hisworkalongside prominentLouisiana staterepresentatives on variouscivil andcriminal trials hasenrichedhis legalexper tise. Jamesthrives on community engagement,par ticularlywhenit involves spor ts;his favorite event, theBattleof theBranches, allowshim to celebrateand honor all branches of ourArmed Forces at theSaints TrainingFacility.
Ourcommitmenttocommunity involvement drives us to invest in initiative slikethe Difference MakerSummit, Battle of theBranches, andour DifferenceMaker projectinpar tnership with Kiran Chawla.Alongside theseevents, we prioritizesafety throughprogramsaimed at preventing accidents, includingSafeRideHome, Sudden Impact,and Back Off My Bike.
At Dudley DeBosier, we arededicated to achieving thebestpossibleoutcomesfor ourclients across BatonRouge,DenhamSprings,Lafayette,Houma, NewOrleans,and Shreveport.Whether it’s auto accidents, defectiveproduct injuries,orworkers’ compensation claims,weare here to suppor tLouisiana’sinjur yvictims ever ystepofthe way. Results may vary.
Dudley DeBosier1100Poydras St #3900, NewOrleans,L A70163 www.dudleydebosier.com
A VERY SPECIAL GUIDE TO NE W ORLE ANS FOR TR AVIS KE LC E
BY JO HN ST AN TO N | GAM BI T ED IT
OR
WHILE HE’S BEST KNOWN AS TAYLOR SWIFT’S IMPROBABLE CHOICE IN ARM CANDY, Travis Kelce also happens to be professional football player with the Kansas City Chiefs which means he’ll be back in New Orleans this week for the Super Bowl.
But it turns out he’s also something of a foodie and boy, does he have some thoughts about New Orleans’ cuisine. For those of you not up on this piece of Kelce goss, he didn’t like it much On his podcast Kelce complained about the quality of New Orleans food, saying “I’m not a Creole, like New Orleans-style food” type of person
When his brother, Jason, who in addition to also being a football player is widely considered to be far more handsome, noted that he was missing out, Travis doubled down “I hear this all the time, and when I try it, I’m just like, ‘aghh,’ ” he said before describing jambalaya as being “pooey.” Our food may not be up to snuff compared to what Kelce grew up with in the noted food mecca of Westlake, Ohio Still, New Orleans has lots to offer, even for a palate as discerning and sophisticated as his, so we’ve put together a few recommendations for making Kelce’s Super Bowl visit better.
PL AY THE PART
IF YOU WANT TO GET AN “AUTHENTIC” NEW ORLEANS EXPERIENCE, you’re going to need to act and dress the part First of f, you’ll want to remember to call it “N’awlins” whenever you get the chance. Say it a lot. We love it.
Similarly, head down to Bourbon Street and cop yourself the biggest, most preposterous set of beads you can find It’s a great way to signal to locals that you’re in the know.
Speaking of Bourbon, while you’re there, don’t forget to respond to anyone who tells you, “I bet I can guess where you got your shoes.” There’s no way they’ll ever guess.
BEST SPOT FOR TRAVIS TO GET SOME CHICKEN
SOMETIMES ALL THOSE SPICES AND FLAVORS AS WELL AS THE PREPARATION TIME can just be overwhelming. We get it After all, why go through the trouble of brining your chicken, mixing up the right combination of herbs and spices and double frying the meat when you could just boil it?
Luckily, New Orleans now has Chick-fil-As! With more than a dozen Chick-fil-A locations in the greater New Orleans area, you’ll never have to worry about taking a bite of some random chicken parts that have the audacity to be seasoned.
BEST PL ACE FOR TRAVIS TO HAVE SOME TRADITIONAL NEW ORLEANS-ST YLE SEAFOOD
BOILED CRAWFISH OR CRABS MAY BE TOO BUSY FLAVOR-WISE and char-grilled oysters too seasoned and squishy. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the region’s traditional seafood offerings. Simply head over to one of the area’s three Applebee’s for the Blackened Cajun Salmon just like MawMaw used to make!
BEST PL ACE FOR TRAVIS TO GET GUMBO
GUMBO IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS DISHES FROM LOUISIANA, and for good reason Simple yet complex, it’s so engrained in our culture that we even have a designated day of the week for eating it
Of course, the best gumbo generally comes from somebody’s home kitchen, and ever ybody’s family has their own variation on this delicious, soul-soothing meal.
But short of getting an invite to somebody’s place, you’ll have to get your gumbo out. Luckily, we’ve found the best place for Kelce to get gumbo:
J. Gumbo’s, conveniently located in Delaware, Ohio At just under a twohour drive from Kelce’s hometown, it’s like bringing all the magic of the bayou to central Ohio without all those pesky spices! And finally
THE TRAVIS KELCE PO-BOY
OF COURSE, KELCE WILL PROBABLY BE PRETTY BUSY GETTING READY FOR THE GAME and may not have a lot of time to go out to eat. So here’s a great idea that brings together the culinary traditions of New Orleans and Westlake, Ohio, and that chef Kelce can enjoy in the comfort of his hotel room. It only requires two ingredients, both of which are legitimately beloved staples of most New Orleanians’ diets!
Note: Kelce’s valet or manservant or whatever he calls them will need to head over to the nearest grocery store to buy the ingredients.
IN GR ED IE NT S:
One loaf of white Bunny Bread
One jar of Lite Blue Plate Mayonnaise
On a plate, place one piece of white Bunny Bread. Open jar, apply desired amount of Lite Blue Plate Mayonnaise. Place a second piece of white Bunny Bread on top. If you’re feeling extra exotic, you can add a slice of American cheese
Pairs well with a glass of New Orleans tap water
The Chick-fil-A at 3870 Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie
Applebee’s Grill & Bar restaurant
OT O
Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce PH OT O BY
Bringyour appetite, big game excitement and passion for purpose to…
BenefittingGENYOUth’s efforts to End Student Hunger
Taste of the NFL is aculinaryand gridiron extravaganza and the NFL’s largest Super Bowl weekend philanthropic culinary event featuring topchefs, NFL greats, captivating entertainment, and the shared mission of tackling youth food insecurity
All net proceeds benefit GENYOUth’s commitmenttoEnd Student Hunger and to help increase equitable access to and participation in school meals among at-risk children in NewOrleans, as well as throughout Louisiana and the U.S.
•1in4Louisiana children lives in foodinsecurity compared with 1in5nationally.
Presented by Frito-Lay,Quaker,and the PepsiCo Foundation and hosted by 5nationally acclaimed celebrity chefs who are committed to ending student hunger –AndrewZimmern, Carla Hall, Tim Love, Lasheeda Perry,and Mark Bucher
NewOrleans restaurants/chefs participating in Taste of the NFL: Restaurant R’evolution, Brennan’s, Dakar Nola, Restaurant August, Medium Rare, DookyChase Restaurant, Crawbabies, Palace Café, Acme Oyster House, Zasu, Café Sbisa, Vyoone’s, Bayou Scratch Kitchen, Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster House Sticks n’ Things, Chef Tamela Davis, Chef RonDuprat, Chef Dee Lavigne, Chef Mark McMillian, Circle House Coffee and others.
Guests will mingle with over25NFL greats while enjoying surprise and delight moments –New Orleans style! Tickets are $750 each and include all food and beverage. This event is 21+ only.
Formoreinformation and to purchase tickets, visit TasteoftheNFL.com
4:00 pm –7:00 pm The National WWIIMuseum NewOrleans, LA SatFeb 82025
From left,Quint Davis, producer of theNew OrleansJazz& Heritage Festival,IrmaThomas, ChiefPostalInspector Gary R. Barksdale,AlisonToussaint-LeBeaux andClarence“Reginald” Toussaintand sing song writer andfriendofAllen,Elvis Costello, standinfront of theAllen ToussaintBlack Heritage stampasitis unveiled at theGeorgeand JoyceWeinJazz&HeritageCenter in NewOrleans,Thursday, Jan. 30,2025.
(P
Iconic NewOrleans music legend AllenToussaint is nowona US Postal Servicestamp
ON THURSDAY,THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICERELEASEDASTAMP bearing aportraitofAllen Toussaint, the iconic NewOrleans songwriter, producer andpianist.Heisnow the 48th honoreeofthe Postal Service’s BlackHeritagestamp series.
Thestamp features aphotograph of Toussaintatthe piano, taken by Bill Tompkins in 2007,and was designed by postal serviceart director ethelKessler.Officials celebratedthe stampwitha ceremony honoring Toussaintatthe George andJoyce Wein Jazz andHeritage Center.elvis Costello,IrmaThomas, andToussaint’s children,Clarence Toussaintand Alison ToussaintLeBeaux, were allinattendance.
Toussaint, whowas born in NewOrleans in 1938,wrote and produced many of thebest-known songsfromthe golden ageofNew Orleansrhythm&blues.Heworked with awiderange of artistsfrom NewOrleansand beyond.
“His musichas touchedthe hearts andhomes of so many,and now, throughthe releaseofacommemorativeu.S.PostalService stamp,
NoticeofThird Public Meeting
NewOrleans City Council Utility Docket UD-23-01
Entergy NewOrleans 2024Integrated Resource Plan
Every three yearsanEntergyNew Orleans (ENO)Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)is produced. This is the planning processbywhich Entergy assessesthe resources available to meet the powersupply needs of NewOrleans. TheIRP is produced following an open, transparent planning process through which allrelevant resources areinvestigated. Resources considered includesupply-side(such as powerplants) anddemand-side (programs to modify customer loads to reduce or shift loadsfromhours with high electricity costs or reliability constraints to otherhours). The factors infuencing choice among these resources areconsidered in the planning process. Thegoal is to identify the optimal set of resources to meet current andfutureelectricserviceneeds at the lowest total cost to customers andENO in amanner consistent with long-term public interest. The expected combination of costs, reliability, risks and uncertainty areconsidered
Theplanning processtodevelopthe 2024IRP is underway. To facilitatethis process, athird public meeting will be held: Wednesday, February 26, 2025from10:00 a.m.to1:00 p.m NewOrleans City CouncilChamber, City Hall, 1300Perdido St.,Room 1E07,New Orleans.
The public is invited andencouraged to attend/view this meeting to makea two-minutestatement regarding theiropinions on theIRP
The Council’s Utilities Regulatory Ofce will maintain asignup sheet for InterestedPersons who wish to receive copies of all flings,issuances,and notices occurring in the proceeding
If youwish to be included on this list, please contact CURO at 504-658-1112 or by email to BobbieMason at bfmason1@nola.gov.You arealsowelcome to view the meetingonline, as it is willlive-stream.The meeting will also be archived for later viewing at: https://council.nola.gov/meetings/
)
Singer Irma Thomas hugs Alison Toussaint-LeBeaux during theunveilingofthe AllenToussaint BlackHeritage stampatthe George andJoyce Wein Jazz &Heritage CenterinNew Orleans, Thursday,Jan.30, 2025.
hisimage will continue to inspire and connectwiththose same people in adeeplymeaningfulway,” said Toussaint-LeBeaux in astatement.The stampisnow sold on their websiteinasheet of 20 for$14.60. Thestamp is aForever stampand is equalinvalue to thecurrent FirstClassMail1-ounce price. Customers canalsobuy thestamp at uSPS locationsnationwide. —Hannah Levitan / TheTimes-Picayune
Last year theduo startedwith pop-upsatPepp’sPub in theMarigny andthen opened acounter in St roch Market.Thenlastmonth,they movedtotheir ownspace near Tulane university’s campus
Tulane is amajor part of Greenleaf ’s story. Shewas born in Newyorkand livedinLower Manhattanfor 40 years, workingas afilmproducerand executiveproducer on bigcorporate accounts at an advertisingfirm. When her daughter said shewantedtocheck outTulane, Greenleafwasn’tfamiliarwiththe school andwasn’tcompletelysure shecould even find NewOrleans on amap
ButinAugust2017, they visited NewOrleans, anditwas Greenleaf whowas sold
“I swear, thesecondIgot here, I knew,” Greenleafsays. “I waswalking throughthe French Quarter; by the time Igot to esplanadeIknewIwas goingtomovehere. In my mind,I’m thinking,‘HowamIgoing to make this happen?Myson is just starting high school.Ihaveabig job. Butit’sgoing to happen.’ ”
HerdaughterenrolledatTulane, andGreenleaf came down every chance shecould,returning home with Jazz Fest posters, MardiGras beadsand king cakestoshare with her Newyorkfriends.“They thoughtI wascrazy,but that’s howmuchIlove it here,”she says Then came 2020 andthe pandemic shutdowns. Sheand herson joined her daughter in NewOrleans forwhat wassupposedtobeamonth.But Greenleaf neverleft.
When shemoved to NewOrleans, Greenleaf craved sandwiches based
on Tuscan andFlorentinestorefronts like All’Antico Vinaio,a popularsandwich that made itsway to Newyork andnow otherlocations
Greenleaf made fast friendswith her neighborsinthe Marignyrectangle, whilealsocooking andfeeding the crowd. Many people urgedher to start her ownbusiness. Therewas even a grouptriptoresearchsandwichesand wine in Italy.
MeanwhileJack, now21, graduated from theprestigious ÉcoleDucasse culinary school in Paris, adding his skillsintothe mix
Themenuisacollaborative effort betweenmotherand son. The emphasis is on high-quality Italian ingredients, likemortadella, provolone,soppressata,broccolirabe, Parmigiano reggiano andmore. Greenleafalsoper fected arecipe forschiacciata bread, foccacia’s thinner, crustier cousin from Tuscany.
Thebread,which takes twodaystomake, is the perfectdeliverysystem forsandwicheslikethe Pisa,madewitha chicken cutlet,fresh mozzarella, roastedtomatoesand redpesto.
It’s also used on the roma,packedwith prosciutto di Parma, freshmozzarella, fireroastedred peppers, pistachio-basilpesto and balsamic glaze. Thereare severalvegetarian options, includingthe Capri, with mozzarella,tomatoes andpistachio basilpesto, served hotorcold.
Thestuffed square sandwiches areflyingout thetakeout window,often takendirectlytothe Boot forconsumption.That’s been popularenoughthat they’regoing to stay open late-night with alimited menu to keep thestudentsfed. Jack also sellshis banana breadand homemade chocolatechipcookies with seasalt
At Jack’s urging,his mother added ahalf-sandwich option to each of themenuitems,which rangefrom $16-$21for ahefty full sandwich.The halves run$9-$13.
“I wasn’t goingtodoit, because that’s nothow it is in Italy,”she says. “But Jack convincedmethe kids ate on therun andcouldn’talwaysfinisha whole.”It’sbeenasmart move.
Theidea, stillinprogress, is for Greenleaftoopenacafé/barwith oneofher neighborsinabuildingon Franklin Avenue,while Jack manages andrunsthe university location
“Feeding people,connectingwith my customers, meanssomuchto me,” Greenleafsays. “ThisissomethingthatJackcan usehis skills for andreallygrow. Forme, I’mhappy in my neighborhood,feeding my friends. That’s what Iwanttodo.”
Beardawardssemifnalistsannounced
ANEW SLATEOFNEW ORLEANSRESTAURANTSAND CHEFS is in therunning for this year’s JamesBeardFoundation awards,including well-known names, rising talent,bakersand agrowing numberofpeoplefromthe realmofdrinks andcocktails.
Theculinaryorganizationreleasedits list of semifinalistsfor theseprestigious andclosely watchedhonors. Forthe past fewyears,the long list of national semifinalistshas shownabroader range of restaurant styles,price ranges and cuisines,and once againthat’sreflected in theincludedlocal semifinalists, too.
Thelistwillbenarrowedtofinalists, scheduledtobenamed April2,along with winnersofthe foundation’s leadership,humanitarian of theyear andlifetime achievementawards. Mediaaward nominees will be announcedMay 7.
Chef andrestaurantawardswinners will be namedduringa gala eventin ChicagoonJune16.
NewOrleans typicallyhas multiple contenderseachyear.Lastyear,Dakar NOLA wonthe national awardfor Best New restaurant,and Jewelofthe Southwon thenationalaward forOutstanding Bar. NewOrleanssemifinalists for2025 by category are:
OutstandingRestaurateur
MasonHereford. Hereford co-founded with hispartnersTurkey&the Wolf (739 JacksonAve.),Molly’s rise &Shine (2388MagazineSt.), Hungry eyes (4206 Magazine St.) andHot Stuff(7507 Maple St.), allofwhich featurehis signature touchonfun andflavorful creations. OutstandingRestaurant GW Fins (808 BienvilleSt.). Theupscale seafoodrestaurantwas foundedin
AnaCastro(left)and sister LydiaCastro opened Acamayainthe Bywater.
Lunchmoves to university neighborhood by Beth D’Addono |
Lisa andJackGreenleaf opened Lunch.
PH OT OBYC HE RY LG ER BE R/ GA MB IT
theFrenchQuarter in 2001,and chef Mike Nelson continuestopioneer new techniques with thelocal catch.
Emerging Chef
Kaitlin Guerin of LagniappeBakehouse (1825euterpe St.).She beganthe projectasapandemicpop-upand openeda bakery cafe in CentralCitylastfall.
Best NewRestaurant
Porgy’sSeafood Market (238 N. Carrollton Ave.). Themodernfishmongerand seafoodrestaurant openedin Mid-City late 2023
OpenedbychefNinaCompton andhusband LarryMiller, therestaurant blends Caribbean, French andItalian flavors.
OutstandingWineand Other Beverages Program
PluckWineBar (722 GirodSt.). The downtown oasisfor oenophiles hasa kitchen geared toward wine pairings
OutstandingBar
Chandelier Bar(2Canal St.).The elegantlobby lounge is at theheart of theFourSeasons hotel.
OutstandingProfessional in Cocktail Service
AbigailGullo.The well-known local cocktail pronow directsthe bar programatLoa Bar(221CampSt.), along-running drinks destination.
Best Chef:South
This regional awardcoversAlabama, Arkansas,Florida,Louisiana,Mississippi andPuertorico.
MelissaAraujo, Alma Cafe (800 Louisa St., andrecentlyexpandedat 301N.CarrolltonAve.).Araujoblends her Honduran rootswithmodernculinary stye at her restaurants.
AnaCastro. Last year,Castro andher sister LydiaCastroopened Acamaya(3070 Dauphine St.), a modern andstylish Mexican-inspired seafoodrestaurant.
Arvinder Vilkhu andAshwinVilkhu. Thefather-and-son duoand their family operateSaffron NOLA (4828 MagazineSt),offeringanupscale expression of Indian cuisine.
Otherregionalcontenders
Onechangeinthe JamesBeard awards in recent yearshas been theinclusion of smallermarkets. This year,inaddition to theNew Orleansareanominees,
thereare severalmorefromthe region. Vestige, thetasting menu restaurant in OceanSprings,Mississippi,isinthe runningfor OutstandingHospitality,a national award. Vestigewas afinalistfor Outstandingrestaurantin2024. Alan Walter,a veteranofthe local cocktail scene,isa nomineefor OutstandingProfessionalinCocktail Service, anationalaward,for hiswork at TheBrakesBar in Batonrouge. In theregionalBestChefs:South category,nomineesinclude Madonna Broussardof Laura’sIIinLafayette; Tresse Sumralland Austin Sumrallof WhitePillars in Biloxi,Mississippi;and Hunter evansofJackson,Mississippi’s elvie’s, whichhenamed forhis New Orleansgrandmother —Ian McNulty/ TheTimes-Picayune
Worldcup of cuisineto return to NewOrleans
IN THEWORLD CUPOFCUISINE,NEW ORLEANSHAS SCORED ANOTHERGOAL , onethatwillbring chefsfromthe highestreaches of theglobalculinaryworld together in theCrescentCityagain ThecityofLyon, regarded as the gastronomiccapital of France,hosts twin competitions held in such prestige that reaching them is theculinaryequivalent of ashotatOlympic gold.The tworelated contests arecalledBocused’Orand Coupedu MondedelaPatisserie, and once againthe road to reachthemwillrun throughNew Orleansfor chefsrepresentingcountries on twocontinents
In Lyon on Jan. 27,officials with Bocuse d’Or andNew Orleans&Co. confirmedthatNew Orleanswillhosta semifinalround forthe competitionin 2026.A similarannouncementreturning CoupeduMonde de la Patisserie,orthe Pastry WorldCup,was made Jan. 25
“Wecould notthink of abetter placethanNew Orleans. We have that connection throughour history; we’re French cousins,”saidJéromeBocuse, presidentofBocused’Or. “Itwas allso wonderfulthere last time.Itwas allthat we couldhavewishedfor.”
NewOrleanshostedsemifinalsfor thetwo events in June 2024.Itwas the firsttimethe competitions visitedany countryin NorthAmerica,amove that waspar toftheir parent organization’s goal to increase itsvisibilityin newmarkets.
“Weneedtoget back andget some of that freshair andsomespice that New Orleansgives.Ithas aspecial touch,” said LucDubanchet,directorofSirha Lyon,which hoststhe finals in Lyon It also aligns with astrategyfromNew Orleans&Co.,the city’s tourismsales andmarketing agency,toraise thecity’s profilefor overseas visitors andelevate thelocal dining scene.
As part of that campaign,the agency sent adelegationtoLyontoattendthe events andrepresent NewOrleansat thecompetition finals andthe massive european food tradeshowtowhich they areattached. Thegroup setupa boothatthe show,calledSirha Lyon, andworkedwithevent producer GL events to seal thedealtoreturnthe culinary contests to NewOrleans.
“Bocused’Orwas attractedtoNew Orleans, andwewereattracted to Bocuse d’Or,” said Walt LegerIII,presidentand CeOofNew Orleans& Co “It’sachancetofurther theconnection to an internationalbrand that is all aboutculinaryexcellence.”
Last year,the events turned the ernest N. Morial Convention Center into an arenaofinternational culinary ambition andbrought some of theworld’s most high-profile chefstothe city to judgethe competitions andtakepartin otherevents.
Butratherthancelebrity chefsor individual restaurants, thesecompetitionsare aboutshowcasingcountries andtheir “foodecosystems,”saidDavid Leishman, arepresentativeofthe u.S. Department of Agriculturebased in Paris, whohelpedbring theeventsto NewOrleanslastyear
“Proposing NewOrleans as ahostwas away to notonlyshowcasethisvery unique ecosystemoforiginalAmerican cuisine, butour hope wasthatthisevent couldhelplaunchaglobalrediscovery andreinvention of thesefoods —movingfromgrandma’s kitchentothe upper stratospheresofhighcuisine.”
Bocuse d’Or wascreated in 1987 by thelatechefPaulBocuse, thegodfather of French nouvelle cuisine(andfather of today’scompetition president).
He wanted to create theworld’s most rigorous culinary competition. Coupe du MondedelaPatisseriefollowed twoyears later, andthey’ve been held biannually ever since.
Today, teamsfrom24countries take part in thegrand finale,after advancing throughcontinental-based qualifiers. TeamsrepresentingNorth Americaand SouthAmerica will againcompete in NewOrleanstoearn spotsinthe finals
ThefinalsinLyonare massiveevents, closelyfollowedinthe international industry builtaroundfinediningand culinaryculture.Passionatefansfollow theirnationalteams andgivethe energy of asportschampionship; business dealsand networking areinclose orbit around thetrade fair that accompanies thecontests.
Thefirst semifinaleventsinNew Orleanslastyear were much smaller, butchefs whotookpartsay they gave ataste of what is possible nowthatthe competitions arereturning
Hostingthe events is an important statementabout NewOrleans as a culinary destinationand hubfor talent, said e.J. Lagasse, chef of emeril’s,the restaurant hisfatherfounded in 1990
TheLagasseswerepartofthe host committee when theeventscametoNew Orleanslastyear,and thechefbelieves with theirreturnthe city canupthe ante andbuild it into abiggerculinaryevent
“It’sa landmark culinary competition,probablythe landmark competition,” Lagassesaid. “The most importantchefs in theworld in terms of mentorshipand leadership, and technicalability of course,theygather andcompete,but in away that hasthis camaraderieand that crossesinternational borders,” he said —Ian McNulty/ TheTimes-Picayune
Team USAcompetesatBocuse d’Or in Lyon,France.
PH OT OBYI AN MC NULTY / TH ET IM ES-P IC AY UN E
Ken Wells
Writer by Will coviello
WHILE TRACINGTHE ORIGINSOF GUMBO, KENWELLS STUMBLED UPON what maybethe long lost ingredient in earlyCajun roux:bear lard.He recounts hissearchfor theorigins of gumboinhis book “Gumbo Life,” whichisnow availableinpaperback. Wellsgrewuphunting andfishing in BayouBlack,enjoyingthe natural bounty of everything from alligators to oystersand frog legs.Wells started workingasa reporter forthe Houma Courierand went on to spend24years at theWallStreetJournal.He’spublished sixnovelsand an award-winning nonfiction narrativeabout post-KatrinaSouth Louisiana. “Gumbo Life” is partly amemoirlooking back on the mostly Cajuncommunity he grew up in belowHouma andThibodaux. He livesinChicago butcurrently is back in SouthLouisiana workingonabook aboutboudin. Formoreinformation, visitbayoubro.com.
Whydid youset outtowrite about theorigins of gumbo?
KENWELLS: Well,Ilovemymother’s gumbo. Shespoke CajunFrench andwas aToups from Thibodaux, even though theToups aren’t technically Cajuns,they’re CajunizedGermans Theassociation wasthatgumbo was Cajunbecause Cajuns cook gumbo, the gumbohad aroux, andCajunswere French.Backinthe 1950sand ’60s, therewas notsomuchofadistinction betweenCajun andCreole. That was sort of theoriginstory (ofgumbo).
Idecided that if Iamgoing to do this book,Ihavetocomeatitasan honest broker.Iamajournalistand have an obligation to ferret it out. Ithought theoriginstory wastrue. Therewas a culturemostlyassociatedwithgumbo over ahistoricperiod. So Istarted sleuthingaroundand foundthis1804 mentionofCajunseatinggumbo on the riversomewherebelow NewOrleans by this French journalist coming throughthe area.Theywereeating gumbofor breakfastafter drinking rumall night. That seemed real to me.I have been there.
Istarted to cast awider netand askpeoplewhattheyknew. This guy ShaneBernard,who is theofficial Tabascohistorian andhas become a food historian, he said,“Well,yeah, Iknowabout that 1804 reference, butdoyou know aboutgumbo in
1764?” Iwas like,“What?Thatcan’t be right.”Hereferredmetothisreally interestingcourt case that’s from the French Louisianacolonial court, in whichatrioofenslavedpeople—thisis in adeposition— theslavesare eating gumbocookedbytwo womenwho are Africans.That’s1764, when Cajuns hadjuststarted tricklingintoLouisiana Ifeltadeepobligationtoreportthat. That unveiled other mysteries. youstart lookingintoprimalCreole cookingand West Africanokrastews served with rice.That’sanobvious templatefor gumbo. ButAfricans didn’t have atradition of cookingwith roux.Flash forwardtotoday andgo find me aroux-less gumbo. youcan find them,but Ithink Iate 70 gumbos across 13 SouthLouisiana cities during my research,and everyone of them wascookedwitharoux. So the question is,how didthe roux come to predominate? Ifound that 1901 Times-PicayuneCreolecookbook, whichpurported to have Creole cookingrecipes.These were recipes associated with people of colorgoing back tothe founding of Louisiana. Thereare nine gumborecipes,and only twoare made with aroux. The term roux is notevenused. It wasclear to me that primal gumbo andearlyCreolegumbo wasnot cooked with aroux, so howdid the roux come to dominate?That’swhere theCajunsstepbackintothe story. I metthisguy ryan Brasseauxwho’s a Cajunand is at yale.He’salsoafood historian. Hisfather is Carl Brasseaux, whowritesserious booksabout the Cajuns.ryanfirst turned me onto this theory that what made the difference in therouxisbearfat Iwas like,“What?”
What didyou find out about bear lard?
W: Basically, bear lard wasasimportant to Southern colonial erakitchens as whaleblubber wastothe lampson theeastCoast.Iwas dubiousyou could catchthatmanybears Ifound this referencetoOil Trough, Arkansas,where in the1800s hunters slaughteredhundredsofbears and rendered thefat.Theyhad so much they ranout of barrels, so they built thesebig troughstostore it.Where wasthatbearfat going? They were puttingitonships down theWhite rivertothe Mississippiriver.Inthe early1800s,whenthose Cajuns were notedcooking gumbo, NewOrleans wasawash in bear fat. It turnsout that bear fathas theseproperties. It’s a very stable oil. If you’re cookingovera fire anddon’t have that much control, it doesn’tmatterbecause youcan
take it to ahightemperature without it smoking. Brasseauxsaidhethought this is howtheygot thedarkroux.
Your book also reflects on Cajunfoodand culture that spread beyond your childhoodhome.
W: We livedout on BayouBlack, whichis west of Houma. We movedout therein1957. Theseare communities notformedaroundthe town square butonthe opposing banksofbayous. everybodyhad apirogue andhunted frogs. Alot of people hunted alligators. everybodyfished. everybodyhad a boat.you sort of took it forgranted this washow people lived.
Moving away in themiddle1970s and glancing back,itwas like holy cow. We come from an interestingand singular place. It took me awhile to realizethat. (Partofthe storyis) aboutauthenticity.Thisiswhatpeoplecrave.Ina strangeway,itwas fortuitous forus to be so isolated andsheltered for so long.Thisculture came up indigenously.Chef(John)Folse says it’s not just recipes. It’s America’sonly indigenous styleofcooking.Weinventedit. It’s ourstyle Folsesaysit’sthe confluence of so many cultures.Wehavethe French,
West Africans, Afro-Caribbeans, theGermans,the Italians.All come throughinthis period.It’sablend of cultures,food-centric cultures as well That’s thedifference.Thisamalgamation of allthese disparatepeople. everygroup deserves some credit.you have peoplebeing receptive to other people’s gifts. This cuisineand this cultureevolves. Folseisamissionary. He lovesthe culture. He loves thefood. He loves to cook.Ihonestly believethathis wholething is about spreadingjoy and showingpeoplethat if youliveinDes Moines,you canstill getthisgumbo,and it will be pretty close to what wascooked in ablack pot. Is that gumboasgoodasmymom’s?No, of course not. Butit’sprettygood. To me,the gumbothing is aculture of joy. When Ifirst star tedresearching thebook, my late father-in-lawwas stillalive.Hewas quiteinterested in what Iwas doing. He said,“you know,wehaveareallygreat gumbo placehereinChicago.Iwanttotake you, c’mon.”Itwas called Heaven on Seven. It wasdowntown. It wason theseventh floor, andyou’d go in and there’sSaintsposters on thewalland theNeville Brothersonthe soundsystem. Themenuisall gumboand Cajun andCreolefood.Iordered thechicken andandouille.
When we were goinguptopay,I askedthe youngwoman behind the counter, Isaid, “What’sthe story? Is thechefCajun?” Shesaid, “No, it’s my dad. He’s Greek.”HewenttoNew Orleansand fell in love with thefood. He wanted to open aCajun restaurant.SohecalledPaulPrudhomme, andPrudhomme said come on down, andhedid.That’sa storyofhow we roll In Chicagotoday,there areeight or nine places that servegumbo.One of them is runbyaCreolefamilyfrom NewOrleans. They’reexpatriates doinghomecooking.The gumbo diaspora is pretty impressive.The stuff that wasour secret notthatlongago is everywhere.
PR OV ID ED PH OT OBY RO BE RT TO LC HI N
Out to eatisanindex of Gambit contract advertisers. unless noted, addressesare forNew Orleans andall accept credit cards updates:email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504)483-3106.
Broussard’s— 819Conti St., (504)5813866;broussards.com— rainbowtrout amandine is served with tassoand corn macquechoux andCreolemeunieresauce Brunch includes Benedicts,chicken and wafflesand more.reservationsrecommended.Outdoor seatingavailable. Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$ Cafe Normandie— HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941;higginshotelnola.com/dining The menu combinesclassic French dishes andLouisiana itemslikecrabbeignetswithherbaioli. Sandwiches includepo-boys,amuffuletta on flatbreadand aburger. No reservations Breakfastand lunchMon.-Sat.,dinner Fri.-Mon $$
TheCommissary— 634OrangeSt.,(504) 274-1850;thecommissarynola.com— A smoked turkey sandwich is served with bacon,tomatojam,herbedcream cheese, arugulaand herbvinaigrette on honeyoat bread. The menu includes dips,salads, sandwiches,boudinballs,fried oystersand more.Noreservations. Outdoorseating available. LunchTue.-Sat. $$ Curio— 301Royal St., (504)717-4198; curionola.com— The creative Creole menu includes blackenedGulfshrimpservedwith chickenand andouillejambalaya.Therealso arecrabcakes,shrimpand grits, crawfish etouffee,po-boys andmore. reservations accepted.Lunch anddinner daily. $$
Desire Oyster Bar— RoyalSonesta New Orleans, 300Bourbon St., (504)586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar— Amenufull of Gulf seafoodincludeschar-grilledoysters topped with Parmesan andherbs.The menu also includespo-boys,po-boys,gumbo, blackenedfish, friedseafood platters andmore. reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily. $$
Dickie Brennan’sBourbon House— 144 BourbonSt.,(504) 522-0111;bourbonhouse.com— There’sa seafoodraw bar with rawand char-broiled oysters, fish dip, crab fingers, shrimp andmore. redfishon theHalf-shell is cooked skin-onand served with crab-boiledpotatoes, frisee andlemon buerre blanc. reservations accepted.Lunch anddinner daily. $$$
Dickie Brennan’sSteakhouse — 716Iberville St., (504)522-2467; dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com— The menu includes avariety of steaks,plussearedGulffish, lobsterpasta, barbecue shrimp andmore. A6-ounce filetmignonisservedwithfried oysters, creamed spinach, potatoes andbearnaise reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat $$$
El Pavo Real — 4401 S. BroadAve., (504) 266-2022;elpavorealnola.com— Themenu includes tacos, enchiladas,quesadillas, ceviche. tamalesand more.Pescado Vera Cruz features sauteedGulffishtoppedwith tomatoes,olives, onionand capers,served with rice andstringbeans.Outdoor seating available. No reservations.Lunch andearly dinner Tue.-Sat $$
897-4800;juansflyingburrito.com The Flying Burritoincludessteak,shrimp, chicken, cheddarjackcheese, blackbeans, rice,guacamole andsalsa.The menu also includes tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos,saladsand more.Outdoor seatingavailable.Noreservations. Lunch anddinnerThu.-Tue. $$
Katie’sRestaurant— 3701 IbervilleSt., (504)488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com— TheCajun Cuban with roastedpork, ham, cheese andpickles.The eclectic menu also includeschar-grilledoysters,sandwiches, burgers, pizza, friedseafood platters, pasta, salads andmore. Delivery available. reservations accepted forlarge parties. Lunchand dinner daily. $$ Kilroy’s Bar— HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941;hig ginshotelnola.com/dining— The barmenu includes sandwiches,saladsand flatbreads,including onetoppedwithpeach, prosciutto,stracciatella cheese,arugula andpecans. No reservations.Lunch Fri.Mon.,dinnerdaily $$
Legacy Kitchen’sCraft Tavern 700 TchoupitoulasSt.,(504) 613-2350; legacykitchen.com The menu includes oysters, flatbreads,burgers,sandwiches, salads andaNOL AStyle GritsBowltopped with bacon, cheddarand apoached eg g. reservations accepted.Breakfast,lunch anddinnerdaily $$
Legacy KitchenSteak &Chop— 91 Westbank Expressway,Gretna, (504) 513-2606;legacykitchen.com The menu includes filets mignonsand bone-in rib-eyes,aswellasburgers,saladsand seafooddishes. reservations accepted Outdoorseating available. Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat. $$ Luzianne Cafe 481Girod St., (504) 265-1972;luziannecafe.com— Boudin Benedict features twopoachedeggsover boudin andanenglish muffin,servedwith greentomatochowchowand hollandaise.
ThePessimist RedBlend
Thisisa bold and powerful wine thatopens with ample aromas of blueberry, boysenberry,plum, and strawberry.Smokynotes of truffleand roasted coffee areaccompanied by floral notesoflavender and lilac.
The palate is lush and engulfing with juicyflavors of cherry,huckleberry, kirsch,and cassis with a silky, balanced finish.
No reservations.Deliveryavailable. Breakfastand lunchWed.-Sun. $$ Mikimoto 3301 S. Carrollton Ave.,(504) 488-1881;mikimotosushi.com The South Carrollton roll includestunatataki, avocado andsnowcrab. Themenualsohas noodle dishes,teriyakiand more.reservations accepted.Deliveryavailable.Lunch Sun.Fri.,dinnerdaily $$
Mother’s Restaurant — 401Poydras St., (504)523-9656; mothersrestaurant.net— This counter-servicespotservespo-boys dressedwithslicedcabbage andCreole favorites like jambalaya, craw fish etouffee, redbeans andriceand more.Breakfast is availableall day. Delivery available. No reservations.Breakfast,lunch and dinner daily. $$
Neyow’sCreoleCafe— 3332Bienville St., (504)827-5474; neyows.com The menu includes redbeans andricewithfried chicken or pork chops, as well as shrimp Creole,seafood platters,po-boys,char-grilledand raw oysters, salads andmore. Side itemsinclude carrot souffle, mac andcheese, cornbread dressing,sweet potato tots andmore. No
Parish Grill— 4650W.Esplanade Ave.,Suite 100, Metairie,(504) 345-2878;parishgrill.com— The menu includes burgers, sandwiches,pizza andsauteed andouille
with figdip,bluecheeseand toastpoints. reservations accepted.Lunch anddinner Mon.-Sat $$
PeacockRoom— KimptonHotel Fontenot, 501Tchoupitoulas St., (504)324-3073; peacockroomnola.com— At brunch,braised shortrib grilladesare served over gritswith mushrooms, apoachedegg andshaved truffle. reservations accepted.Dinner Wed.Mon.,brunchSun $$
Rosie’sonthe Roof — HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining— Therooftop barhas amenuofsandwiches, burgersand smallplates. Crab beignetsare madewith Gulf crabmeat andmascarponeand served with herbaioli.Noreservations. Dinner Mon.-Sat $$
Tableau 616St. PeterSt.,(504) 934-3463; tableaufrenchquarter.com— Themenu features traditionaland creative Creole dishes.Pasta bouillabaissefeaturessquid inkmafaldine,littleneck clams, Gulf shrimp, squid, seafoodbroth,rouille andherbed breadcrumbs. Outdoorseating availableon thebalcony.reservationsrecommended Dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Thu.-Sun $$$ Tacklebox— 817CommonSt.,(504) 827-1651;legacykitchen.com Themenu includes rawand char-broiledoysters, seafoodplatters, po-boys, friedchicken, crab andcornbisqueand more.redfish St.Charles is served with garlic-herb butter,asparagus,mushrooms and
TheVintage 3121 Magazine St., (504) 324-7144;thevintagenola.com— There’sa full coffee drinks menu andbaked goodsand beignets,aswellasafullbar.The menu has flatbreads,cheeseboards, smallplatesand apressed veggie sandwich with avocado, onions,arugula,red pepper andpepper jack cheese.Noreservations. Delivery and outdoorseating available. Breakfast, lunch anddinner daily. $$
MI SSED AN IS SUE?
Dat’s WhereIt’s At Tee $30
Purchase at stores.por tmerch.com/drjohn
OfficialDr. John Estate Webstore
andcountry sounds.Lenderman is backed by histouring band TheWind, andWildPinkalsoperforms. At 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Tipitina’s Visittipitinas.com forinformation
JNGL Battleofthe DJs
Thegroup JNGL hashostedDJbattle events in Washington,D.C.,and Miami, Florida, usuallyfor a$5,000 grandprize.Theynow throwa DJ competitiononThursday, Feb. 6, at republic NOLA.Six DJswillgoheadto-headinthe competitioninfront of judges BigFreedia,DJTraumaand LennyS.There also will be performances by Mannie Freshand Les Twins. Doorsopenat8p.m., and ticketsare $35via republicnola.com
JefRossRoasts
NewOrleans
Britti
Last year NewOrleans vocalist Brittany Guerin released her first full-length album, “Hello,I’m Britti,” avintage-soakedsouland r&B record produced by TheBlack Keys’ DanAuerbach. Catchher at 8p.m Friday,Feb.7,atthe MapleLeaf. Ticketsare $10inadvance viamapleleafbar.com. and$15 at thedoor.
George Porter Jr.
Celebrated bassistGeorgePorter Jr.and hisbandRunnin’ Pardners releasetheir latest album, thefunky, instrumental “Porter’sPocket,”on Friday,Feb.7.Porterplays Snug Harbor on thesameday with longtime collaboratorsMichael Lemmler on keys anddrummer Terrence Houston. Showsare at 7:30 p.m. and9:30p.m.Tickets are$40 viasnugjazz.com.
Mareko Maumasi
Comedian Jeff Ross is aregular in the Comedy CentralRoast series, hosted severalseasons of thenetwork’s “roast Battle”and hastaken jabs at everyone from criminals, includingDonaldTrump,toTom Brady, Justin Bieber,Shaqand Alec Baldwin. He will roastthe city of NewOrleans next on Friday,Feb 7, at republic NOLA.Shows areat 8:30 p.m. and11p.m.Tickets startat $100 viarepublicnola.com.
Bert Kreischer
Comedian Bert Kreischer,a man allergic to shirts,willbejoinedby Nikki Glaser andAdamray,who hasbeenperformingstand-up with aDr. Phil impersonation, fora show Saturday, Feb. 8, at theuNO LakefrontArena.Alsoonwhatisotherwise aprettygoodcomedylineup is Tony Hinchcliffe, best knownfor callingPuertoricoa“floating island of garbage” at aDonaldTrump rally. Buthey,that’sbuilt-intimetohit the bathroom andgraba beer.The show is at 7p.m., andtickets startat$25 viaarena.uno.edu
TheDirty DozenBrass Band
TheGrammy-winning DirtyDozen BrassBandformedin1977,combining themoretraditional brass band soundwithr&B,bepop jazz andfunk. Over theyears,they’ve recorded tracks with thelikes of elvisCostelloand NorahJones and opened forThe BlackCrowesinthe ‘90s.Theyheadline ashowTipitina’s on Saturday, Feb. 8. Neo-soul vocalisterica Fallsopens at 8:30 p.m. Ticketsare $25via tipitinas.com.
Olympia, Washington-basedmaster knifemaker Mareko Maumasi makes some of thefinestculinary blades in thecountry.Sowhen it comesto proper useand care of knives,he definitely knowswhathe’stalking about. Theaward-winning owner of MaumasiFireArtswilldiscuss his life,careerand philosophy at the BroadsideonWednesday,Feb.5 at 8p.m., alongwithaknife care demonstrationand Q&A. Food will be availablefromNikkeiIzakaya
LittleFreddie King
NewOrleans singer-guitarist Little FreddieKingisone of thelast of a greatgenerationofblues legends. Thankfully, he’s still aregular on New Orleansstages, includingoccasional Friday nights at d.b.a. King next playsthe Frenchmenvenue at 6p.m Friday,Feb.7.Tickets are$10.Find more info at dbaneworleans.com.
Carnivoid: Fans Only
Everyfall, Fete du Void throws a two-daymusic andart fest over in Oakdale, Louisiana, with aton of NewOrleansmusicians andbands. They’rebringingthingscloserto home forCarnivalwithablowout Saturday, Feb. 8, at theBroadside TherewillbeperformancesbyLSD Clownsystem, High Step Society, TBCBrass Band,504icygrl,PreTTy NA$Tyand more.Doors open at 6 p.m. Ticketsare $43.27 advance viabroadsidenola.com.
FO rC OMPLeTe MuSIC LI ST IN GS AND MOre eV eNT ST AKING PL AC e IN THe Ne WO rLe ANS Are A, VISIT CA LEND AR .G AMBIT WEEKL Y. CO M
To learn moreabout adding your event to the music calendar, please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com
SATURN BAR— una NochedeMúsica Latina conLaTran-K, 10 pm RebirthBrass Band performs at TheRabbitHoleat7p.m.on Friday,Feb.7.
MRB — And Then Came Humans, 7pm
THEBARNETT LOBBY— DJ Digital, 3:30 pm BEANLANDIA Classical Quartet, 6pm BOURBON STREETHONKYTONK — The BadSandys, 8pm
FRITZEL'S EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB Doyle Cooper Band, 1pm; SazeracJazz Band,5pm; Fritzels All Star Band w/Mike Fulton, 8pm; THE VIRGIN HOTEL Pre-Game Pulse with Jeremy Phipps &Friends, 2pm
MARDI GRASY’all
Go west
by Will Coviello
SIBLINGRIVALRY
CANBEAPOWERFUL MOTIVATION.It fuelsthe simmering tensions between brothers Austin and LeeinPulitzerPrizewinningplaywright SamShepard’s popular1980drama “TrueWest.”
Austin is an Iv y League-educated writer,intentonfinishing ascreenplay. Leeisa pettythief whodriftsinand outofCalifornia’s desertsand back highways.After notseeingeach otherfor five years, they crosspaths at theirmother’s houseonthe edge of LosAngeles,atthe foot of theSan GabrielMountains.
AllAustin’sbeenasked to do is take care of theplants, butitbothers Lee that hisbrother wastrusted with the house. He downsseveral beersasthe chance meetingquickly brings out theirburiedconflicts
Butthe brothers also have much in common,and they relish competingon theother’s ground.Thatratchetsup thecomedyand battle forsuperiority. CouldLee be abetterstoryteller than Austin?Could Austin surviveinthe roughand tumble worldofhis brother, whofollows more in thefootsteps of theirfather?
JeffersonPerformingArtsSociety presents thedrama Feb. 6-16 at Westwego Performing Arts Theatre. Austin is trying to finish aperiod romancewhenLee arrives. The troublebegins immediatelywhen Leewants to borrow Austin’s car. Austin doesn’ttrust Lee, buthehas ameeting with Saul,a producer who is coming to talk to himabout the screenplay.GivingLee hiskeysis oneway to gethim outofthe house withoutaskinghim to leave.
When he returns, Leeburstsinon themeeting,a stolen TV in hand Leeishappy to intrude. Butmore than interfering, thehustler in him always hasaneye foranopportunity —and gettingfriendlywithSaulsuits both purposes.Healsosmellsmoney in film scripts, whereAustinworries aboutart
In “TrueWest,”the West is amore figurative andelusive frontier.It’sboth theHollywood world, whereAustinis trying to make aliving, andthe desert
loomingbeyondthe mountains. If there’sanunspoiled frontier,it’sthe desert whereLee is more at home.
“The West is in themidst of this transformation,”saysBennettKirschner, whoisdirecting thedrama.“Is it endless suburbsoraridlandscapes?”
Theirfather’srough ways cast a shadow over theirrelationshipand suggestthe rugged desert.And while Austin maybebettersuitedtowatch over thehouse,Lee is more concerned abouttheir father.
“Out of thetwo brothers,Lee seems to be theone whoismoreconcerned abouttheir family,” Kirschnersays. “Heisconstantlysaying, ‘Wecould get theold manout of hock.Wecan make sure that he is takencareof.’”
SamShepard oftenreferenced cowboysand theWestinhis plays, andsomeofhis best worksare about complicatedrelationships,asin “Foolfor Love.”
“TrueWest” premieredwhen Shepardwas at theheightofhis fame as an actor, playwright andcelebrity. He hadwon thePulitzer Prizefor his 1979 drama“Buried Child.”Hewas abouttostaraspilot Chuckyeagerin “The rightStuff,” whichdrewhim an Oscarnomination.Healsowas about to startanearly30-year relationship with actressJessica Lange.
DirectingthisshowinWestwegois Kirschner’s firstworkwithJPAS. He’s thefounder of Intramural Theater, whichfocuses on more absurdist playsand company-devisedworks It recently mountedKen Prestininzi’s politicalfarce “Timbuktu, uSA” at NewMarignyTheatre
